Equinox Resort Anguilla, Port Nimara

A global marina component manufacturer formed a joint venture with a US land owner who has spent considerable time unlocking and permitting the site for a mixed-use marina + hospitality + residential project.

The Group primarily required financing for the construction/development of the project via a senior loan secured on the site. During the initial underwrite, it became clear that a global brand was needed to elevate the pitch of the hotel and overall project, further enhancing the residential components to full branded townhouses, apartments and villas.

We ran a targeted brand/operator selection, whilst also running a debt raising exercise with the pool of lenders who we know are active in the Caribbean market. Approaching brands who would complement the existing pool of luxury and lifestyle hotels such as Belmond Cap Jaluca, Four Seasons Anguilla, Malliouhana and Aurora Anguilla, was key in our search. In addition, there was clear advantage to the uplift in performance of the project with the added benefit of a luxury lifestyle brand, which was improving the underwrite with the selected list of lenders for the senior construction loan.

We secured Equinox Hotels, Club & Residences as the operator, their Hudson Yards flagship hotel at the time being 1 of only 2 hotels in New York to appear in the World’s Top 50 Hotels list. The forecast performance and the working relationship of the brand with the other professional team involved was a great aid to the project and the financing exercise. We then secured a $60m Senior Construction Loan from a Central American Fund who specialise in Infrastructure and Tourism Development projects.