Almond appeal

A top executive at Virgin Atlantic says Barbados needs to have the closed 400-room Almond Beach Village Hotel in St Peter refurbished and back in the market as soon as possible.
Nick Parker, regional manager of the Sir Richard Branson-owned international carrier, is convinced that the upper end of the tourism market in Barbados is doing well but it was the economy class hotels that were hurting most from falling tourism arrivals and reduced visitor spending.
He said the island needed to “make sure that the product is right on the ground” adding, “Clearly losing a property like Almond is a challenge for Barbados.”
The Virgin executive added: “We would welcome that property to be refurbished and [sold] as soon as possible because it has got an important part to play.