Club Med returns to the USA with the acquisition and planned redevelopment of the iconic Carambola Beach Resort, on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
That means no passport is needed for US passport holders to visit one of the storied locations in the Caribbean, marking the return of Club Med to U.S. shores, set to open late in 2027.
Developed in partnership with VICI Properties, the project is a redevelopment of the Carambola Beach Resort, built in 1986 by philanthropist and Rockefeller family heir Laurance Rockefeller, reflecting his enduring vision for the U.S. Virgin Islands, where hospitality and preservation exist in balance.
The redevelopment plans envision a comprehensive renovation that preserves Rockefeller’s vision and the location’s natural beauty and historic roots.
The new Club Med St. Croix will be part of the brand’s Exclusive Collection, which is its highest tier of all-inclusive resorts, distinguished by elevated design, personalized service, and exceptional experiences in extraordinary settings.
Unlike its more traditional family-focused resorts, this is is being positioned for couples, friends, multigenerational travelers and families with children 12 and older.
According to Club Med, the resort will emphasize wellness, nature, adventure and Caribbean culture.
Once open, the resort is expected to generate approximately 200 direct jobs, with additional economic activity expected to be created through indirect employment and partnerships with local excursion operators, farmers and artisans.
Club Med’s previous U.S. footprint once spanned a pair of ski resorts in Colorado and a property in Port St. Lucie, Fla., but the brand has been absent from the U.S. and its territories since the Florida resort closed in 2022.
Club Med was supposed to build a ski and summer resort in Snowbasin, Utah, to open in 2023, but that was scrubbed because of issues with not enough water.
There also s a Club Med in Canada’s Laurentian Mountains, north of Montreal, opened within the last decade.
Club Med will run the future operations of the historic 150-room key resort, transforming it into a model for sustainable, culturally rich and all-inclusive hospitality in the region.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, followed by a targeted reopening in Q4 2027.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is an award-winning journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is President Emerita of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA).
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter also is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA).
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