Best Hotel Architecture – Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort (Redevelopment), Best Hotel Interior – Palisades Restaurant, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, Best New Hotel Construction & Design – Fort Block, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort and Best Leisure Architecture – Zing Zing Restaurant and Gommier Spa, Secret Bay
Secret Bay, Dominica’s award-winning, ultra-luxury, all-villa resort, and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, the ‘Nature Island’s’ landmark waterfront hotel and dive resort located in the vibrant capital city of Roseau, have won The Five-Star Award in multiple categories for their stunning design and architecture by the 2019 International Property Awards, Americas Division. Both properties are part of GEMS Holdings Limited, an impact-driven Caribbean-based company dedicated to managing and developing world-class, sustainable luxury properties and businesses in the hospitality and tourism markets. This announcement comes on the heels of Secret Bay being awarded the Green Globe Certification, one of the highest standards for sustainability worldwide, and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort announcing its 30th anniversary.
In partnership with GEMS, ARGO Development Studio, the architectural and design firm behind both Secret Bay and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resorts’ expansion and newest amenities, was recognized in the following categories:
- Best Hotel Architecture – Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort (Redevelopment)
- Best Hotel Interior – Palisades Restaurant, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort
- Best New Hotel Construction and Design – Fort Block, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort
- Best Leisure Architecture – Zing Zing Restaurant and Gommier Spa, Secret Bay
ARGO was responsible for designing Zing Zing Restaurant, Secret Bay’s first-ever seated dining experience overlooking the Caribbean Sea, and the resort’s Gommier Spa, a three-walled treehouse-style wellness retreat, perched on the cliffside and enveloped in nature.
The firm also oversaw the design for Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, including the expansion of the hotel’s Fort Block rooms, from 32 to 60 guestrooms, along with a reimagined aesthetic of the hotel and the new Palisades Restaurant, the resort’s signature waterfront, fine dining eatery.
“We’re very proud of our luxury-meets-sustainable design at both Secret Bay and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, so it’s an honour to have each property recognised by such a prestigious organization,” said Gregor Nassief, proprietor of GEMS Holdings Limited. “ARGO did an incredible job executing our collaborative vision and is very much deserving of this accolade from the International Property Awards.”
“ARGO Development Studio was delighted to be awarded Best Hotel Architecture, Best Hotel Interior and Best New Hotel Construction and Design in relation to Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort and Best Leisure Architecture for Secret Bay from the International Property Awards,” said David Campion, ARGO’s managing director. “We are honoured to have worked with GEMS on the shared vision for Secret Bay and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort and to have made a contribution to the improvement of the hospitality industry in Dominica with our involvement with these two prestigious establishments. This celebration is one we share with all who were involved in the success of these projects.”
The International Property Awards celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry. An International Property Award is a world-renowned mark of excellence, judged by a highly experienced team of professionals who cover the whole range of property disciplines.
