DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | Jumeirah, the Dubai-based luxury international hospitality management group and a member of Dubai Holding, has been appointed to manage a luxury multi-use resort occupying the entire western tip of St. Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands. This was announced at a signing ceremony held yesterday in St. Thomas attended by Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group and David Burden, Founder and CEO of Timbers Resorts.

Located in a dramatic setting where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, the Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort, formerly known as The Preserve at Botany Bay, will be located 15 minutes away from the Cyril E. King International Airport in St. Thomas, with regular flights connecting the tropical island to the United States. Guests of the world-class luxury resort will enjoy several beaches, secluded coves, a pristine coral reef and a nature conservancy, fine dining restaurants and a beach club as well as a Talise Wellness spa.

Jumeirah will manage the five-star boutique hotel of 84 rooms, spread over nine graceful buildings in an intimate and secluded setting. Scheduled to open in 2011, the 400-acre resort will also include 30 fractional residences, 30 whole ownership villas and up to 20 grand estates. These serviced residences will be managed by Jumeirah Living, combining the luxury of a prestige hotel with all the privacy and comforts of home.

This management agreement with Timbers Resorts is a key addition to Jumeirah’s rapidly growing portfolio of luxury properties, with Jumeirah hotels and resorts currently under development in Phuket, Shanghai, Argentina, Mallorca, London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Jordan, among others.

“We selected Jumeirah as the ideal hotel company to partner with at this unprecedented resort on the secluded western tip of St. Thomas,” remarked David Burden. “Based on their internationally renowned hotel experience in luxury service, they will be a perfect match for our discerning owners and resort guests.”

“We are impressed by Timbers Resorts’ commitment to responsible development and the care with which they intend to develop this protected enclave,” said Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group. “With its secluded location in a tropical environment, the Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort will be true to our STAY DIFFERENT™ promise.”

The island of St. Thomas has been inhabited for over 2500 years and the area features extensive pre-Colombian artefacts; the developers worked with a team of scientists to preserve the most sensitive aspects of the site and perform significant archaeological work. In addition, the resort will respect responsible construction principles, with the use of solar power, protection of reef and coastal areas, a desalinisation plant and planted roofs, among other initiatives. Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort will also contribute to the economic development of the island by creating jobs for the local population.

About Timbers Resorts | Founded by developer David Burden, Timbers Resorts has surpassed its competitors by offering a unique combination of equity ownership, vacation-home lifestyle and high-end resort amenities at each of their Timbers Collection properties. Designed for vacationers who want the best in luxury leisure, these properties provide personalized surroundings and services tailored to each resident’s tastes and preferences. The Timbers Collection is a group of small, private, luxury resort properties in the world’s most sought-after ski, golf, beach and scenic countryside locations. Owned, developed and operated by Timbers Resorts, these exclusive destinations combine hassle-free second-home ownership with the services and amenities of a five-star hotel. Current properties in the Timbers Collection include One Steamboat Place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; The Preserve at Botany Bay on St. Thomas in the U.S.V.I.; Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy; The Rocks Luxury Residence Club in Scottsdale, Arizona; Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; The Timbers Club in Snowmass, Colorado; and now The Orchard at The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley. .

About Jumeirah Group | Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The Dubai-based luxury international hospitality management group encompasses the world-renowned Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London and the Jumeirah Essex House on Central Park South in New York.

The Group’s activities are, however, not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Wild Wadi, regarded as one of the premier water parks outside of North America; The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region’s only third-level academic institution specializing in the hospitality and tourism sectors; The Taste Department, the company’s dedicated restaurant division; global spa brand Talise Wellness; Jumeirah Living, the Group’s luxury brand of serviced residences offering effortless living in luxurious surroundings; and Jumeirah Retail, with its 15 stores and dedicated luxury retail website .

Building on this success, Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai Holding in 2004, a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and projects, initiating a new phase of growth and development for the group.

Jumeirah has extensive expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts into key gateway or letterhead cities and aspirational resort destinations worldwide. Currently, the Group has several luxury five-star properties under development, including five in Dubai and others in Abu Dhabi, Aqaba, Doha, Phuket, Argentina, Mallorca and London. The Group is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi in late 2008, Jumeirah’s first hotel in the Asia Pacific region.

Landry Fuller
+1-310-453-2539
Jumeirah