USVI’s Yacht Haven Grande Opens for Business

Yacht Haven Grande, the new $160 million megayacht marina complex near the cruise ship piers in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, opened to fanfare and fireworks with more than 50 megayachts in attendance.

The opening culminated years of planning and construction and erased forever the memories of Hurricane Marilyn in 1995 that demolished the former hotel and piers on the site. The hurricane-battered hotel and dilapidated piers had been an eyesore for years until construction on the megayacht complex began in 2004.

Phase one of the new complex includes a marina than can accommodate 50 yachts up to 450 feet long, an esplanade with three restaurants and 80,000 square feet of retail space. Retail shops already open include Louis Vuitton, Coach, Bulgari and Little Switzerland. A fourth restaurant will open next fall.

The Club at Yacht Haven Grande is slated to open in September; membership will include personalized amenities, recreational facilities and private dining. Services include side-by-side berthing for the megayachts, 24-hour security, facilities for crew, owners and guests, and nautical provisioning.

Island Global Yachting, a management company that is part of the Island Capital Group, manages and operates Yacht Haven Grande as well as marinas in St. Maarten, St. Lucia and the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.