Quito’s Luxury Inn and Gazebo Restaurant are being formally relaunched under new names after they were purchased by a company chaired by Virgin Islands businessman Mark Vanterpool.
The accommodation side of the visitor hub will now be known as the Cane Garden Bay Beach Hotel, with the former Gazebo Restaurant renamed Rhythm & Sands.
The Cane Garden Bay landmark passed over from popular singer and businessman Quito Rymer to MHV Resorts and Hotels at the beginning of October after months of negotiations.
“MHV Resorts and Hotels is excited to join the vibrant Cane Garden Bay community that has long been an iconic hub for tourism and culture in the BVI,” said Mr. Vanterpool, who also runs the One Mart store chain.
He added that he wants to create jobs through “sustainable development” in the village.
MHV group
The MHV group, which has been operating in the Virgin Islands for nearly four decades, promised to keep up the reputation for good music at the complex developed by Mr. Rymer, who often performed at the beachfront restaurant.
“Quito’s Gazebo has long been a mecca for great music and good times in the BVI,” the group said in a statement. “The new Rhythm & Sands will continue building on this legacy, pairing exquisite cuisine with melodies made to melt away all worries.”
The revamped restaurant will return first, opening its doors within the next month, and the hotel section will welcome guests during the upcoming tourist season. The new owners stressed that they want to work with their neighbours to preserve the “authenticity and magic” of the area.
The other shareholders in MHV Resorts and Hotels are Mr. Vanterpool’s wife Judith Vanterpool and sons Dalan and Deon Vanterpool.
Speaking to the Beacon in July, Mr. Rymer said he was ready to let go of his business dealings in the VI, adding that he has property in Wisconsin and is considering retiring to Hawaii in a few years.
“Now it feels like it’s time to move on,” he said at the time. “I think I need to step away.”
Reflecting on more than 40 years in business in the territory, Mr. Rymer added, “The restaurant came before the music started: I was setting myself up a venue that I couldn’t be fired from.”