Business View Caribbean - July 2015 69
Over the years, the Hotel expanded to 87 rooms and
won several local, regional and international awards.
Its mercurial General Manager was Berthia Parle, one
of the most recognizable figures in Caribbean hospital-
ity, who, during this time also became the first female
President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Associa-
tion.
In 2002, the Destangs acquired the property next door
- a small establishment called the Palm Tree Hotel -
which had gone into receivership. They rechristened
their new purchase, the Bay Gardens Inn, and added
another 33 rooms to their portfolio. The owners hired
Ms. Waltrude Patrick, an experienced manager, who
was also an old family friend, to run the property, and
the new hotel’s success was quickly assured. In 2006,
the Bay Gardens Inn was awarded Best Small Hotel
in the Caribbean by Virgin Holidays, the U.K-based,
transatlantic tour operator, at its annual World Travel
Awards ceremony.
The final addition to the Bay Gardens hotel chain was
the addition of the Bay Gardens Resort and Spa, which
the Destangs built and opened in 2007, on property
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Bay Gardens Resorts
WHAT:
A collection of three hotel properties in St.
Lucia – the Bay Gardens Hotel, the Bay Gardens
Inn, and the Bay Gardens Resort and Spa
WHERE:
Near Rodney Bay Village, St. Lucia
WEBSITE
:
