The Hon. G. A. Dwyer Astaphan, Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, announced that Elite Island Resorts will be assuming Global Marketing and Reservations Services for the former Rex Papillon Resort and renaming it Sugar Bay Club,effective August 1, 2004. Sugar Bay Club is currently the sole property represented by Elite Island Resorts in St. Kitts.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Elite Island Resorts into our portfolio of fine accommodations on St. Kitts,” said G. A. Dwyer Astaphan. “Elite has an excellent reputation for high standards and guest satisfaction, so the Sugar Bay Club is certain to make a wonderful addition to St. Kitts and provide another new lodging option for us to offer to visitors.”

When marketing and reservations of Sugar Bay Club is assumed by Elite, Sugar Bay Club will undergo a soft refurbishment but will remain open during the improvements, which will be cosmetic in nature and will not disturb the guest experience.

The 100-room Sugar Bay Club is situated on Frigate Bay beach on the island’s sparkling Atlantic coast, enjoying the best of both worlds with the gentle Caribbean Sea just a short walk away and featuring two swimming pools, daytime tennis, two restaurants, a cocktail bar, gymnasium and private balcony or terrace for every guestroom.

Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. Originally populated by native Carib Indians, the island was colonized by the British in 1623 and now offers visitors a wide variety of vacation activities including hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s sugar plantations, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and the more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’s only casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s black or golden sand beaches. Guests can select from accommodations ranging from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels or resorts.

St. Kitts is served from the US by US Airways non-stop from Philadelphia and Charlotte and by American Airlines/American Eagle via San Juan. From Canada, St. Kitts is accessible from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa on US Airways with connections through Philadelphia and Charlotte and on Air Canada or BWIA from Toronto through Antigua. The island is also accessible by Windward Island Airways (WinAir), LIAT, Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun via connections over St. Maarten, Antigua and San Juan, Puerto Rico. All flights arrive at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, situated just 2 miles outside the historic capital city of Basseterre.