Received this via email today:

Dear Owner,

We hope your New Year is off to a great start and you are getting as excited as we are for the reopening of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort.

We’ve been working diligently, not just cleaning up and restoring your “home away from home,” but planning, designing and implementing some amazing new facilities and amenities. As the President and COO of Divi Resorts, Marco Galaverna said back in November, “we are committed to rebuilding Divi Little Bay Beach Resort not just as good as it was before, but even better,” and we plan to deliver on that promise!

Firstly, we’d like to announce that there will be a new General Manager of Little Bay Beach Resort, Anne-Marie Brooks. We’re thrilled to welcome Anne-Marie back to the team nearly 28 years after her first internship at Little Bay in 1990. Most recently, she spent 21 years working for Oyster Bay Beach Resort. Anne-Marie replaces Celine Van Meer, who recently moved to Bonaire with her family to take over the General Manager position at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino.

Secondly, we know that you are anxious to return to St. Maarten as soon as possible, so we are happy to confirm that the resort will partially reopen on May 1st, and we anticipate completing renovations by early fall. While we’d love to have the entire resort restored by May, it’s just not possible given the changes we are making, safety and logistical reasons and the damage to the resort. As a result, please keep in mind that there may be ongoing construction during your stay. Rest assured, if your unit is not completed by your arrival, we will provide you with alternate accommodations based on unit type availability.

Here’s what is scheduled to be completed by May 1st:

Accommodations:
Buildings 1-4, Buildings A & B, Hotel Rooms and Beachfront Villas will be completely renovated with some, if not all of the following: all new lighting, furniture, window treatments, water-saving toilets, interior paint, shower doors, faucets, crown molding, baseboards, 49" LED TVs, laptop safes, bluetooth alarm/clock/radio, interior doors and hardware, patio doors, appliances, HVAC, in-room Wi-Fi, electrical devices and panels, solar water heaters, exterior lighting, porcelain-tiled corridors, signage, exterior paint, signage lighting, landscaping and repaired roofs.

Food & Beverage:
We are updating the Seabreeze Restaurant, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and completely redesigning the newly named Fort Amsterdam Cafe (formerly Bayview Cafe), which will serve coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and ice cream. In addition, we are refreshing menus for both eateries.

Pool:
The Seabreeze pool and its restrooms will be updated, and new pool furniture will be added.

Beach:
We’ve purchased a beach cleaner to groom and restore our beautiful Little Bay beach, and the sea and sand will be ready for guests.

Lobby:
New furniture will be added to the lobby, the restrooms in the building will be renovated and we’re adding new bellman carts.

Public Spaces:
Public spaces throughout the resort will be rebuilt and improved, including a new roof for the main building as well as new exterior paint and lighting and porcelain-tiled corridors. All retail buildings will receive new roofs, exterior paint and lighting. In addition, the parking area in front of the retail shops will be renovated, and will get new lighting. There will be a new parking area (where the tennis court once was) and new thatch roofs will be added to the taxi, car rental and bird cage areas.

Resort Activities/Shops:
All on-site shops, the gym, the Aqua Mania water sports center and the dock will be open. The Indulgence By The Sea Spa was rebuilt and reopened in December, and continues to serve locals and tourists alike.

Construction on the remaining renovations will be completed by early fall and include the following:

Units & Public Spaces:
Buildings 5-12, Buildings D, E, F & G, Casitas and Public Spaces will be completely renovated.

Pools:
We will be completely transforming what was our “casitas pool” into the new Pureocean Pool & Bar. In addition to this expansive, modern pool area, our popular Infinity Pool will also undergo a complete renovation and will receive new, modern furniture.

Food & Beverage:
Pureocean Restaurant and terrace will be completely renovated with a new, modern look. In addition to the newly named Fort Amsterdam Cafe, and a new Pureocean Pool Bar, the resort will be adding a fun new eatery called The Shack. The Shack will have delicious roti, jerk, BBQ and many island favorites. Gizmo’s Bar & Grill will also reopen with a larger deck and a fresh look.

Thirdly, we know many of you have questions and concerns about the island. The good news is much of our friendly island is coming back slowly and we’d like to share some good news:
Both airports (Princess Juliana & Grand Case International Airport) are operational and running about 60 flights a week from 12 different airlines.
Princess Juliana Airport has opened a temporary departure pavilion to improve passenger comfort.
Airlines have returned including: American (who is expected to add to the daily flight from Miami), Jet Blue (operating daily from JFK and resuming flights from Minneapolis through Boston), Delta (daily from Atlanta), West Jet (resumes April 28), KLM and Air France (from Paris).
Cruise ships have returned including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Disney, MSC, Viking Sea, Seadream and Marella.
Many restaurants and shops are back in business including: Toppers, Beirut, Lee’s Roadside, Bombay Bites, Sale and Pepe, Little Jerusulem, Holland House and Green House. Plus, fine dining restaurants like Spiga and Chef Dino Jagtiani at the Rockland Estate are also open.
Land-based activities including rain forest tours, ATV tours and Jeep safaris are 80% back in business.
Loterie Farm has reopened and is once again offering zipline tours.
Water-based activities including snorkeling trips and charters are running.
90% of the shops along Front and Back Streets in downtown Phillipsburg have reopened.
St. Maarten’s Heineken Regatta, a popular island event, takes place March 1-4.
In April, the Island will celebrate Easter with the 5th Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt.
Carnival season also kicks off in April on the Dutch side of the island, with thrilling parades, colorful festivals, parties, pageants and more.
In May, locals and tourists alike can enjoy Fish Day; a quirky event that celebrates all things fish.
In June, one of the largest deep sea fishing tournaments in the Caribbean, the Billfish Tournament, returns to St. Maarten.
Lastly, as we hope you can imagine, the reconstruction of Little Bay has been a massive undertaking and we appreciate your support and patience throughout this process. For all of us at Divi Little Bay it’s a labor of love, and we can’t wait to welcome you and your family back to our beautiful resort!

As always, if your travel plans have changed, or if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via email at littlebayupdate@diviresorts.com. We ask for your patience as we work to accommodate everyone’s requests and answer everyone’s questions.

Thank you,
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort Management

I received the same message this morning. I'm so sorry my beloved Infinity Pool won't be finished by my June visit but am excited to see what they have done so far.

At least this gives you some comfort they will be open for your trip.

Yep

I wish all the properties, mine included, that suffered storm damage and are experiencing the need to rebuild would be as forth-coming. Even if, to them, it feels like they’re taking baby steps not worth sharing, communicating this at least tells us something is happening. Or perhaps nothing is happening because of many different reasons - lack of materials, lack of appropriate skilled labor, insurance adjusters or settlements dragging their feet or whatever the reasons might be, but relating this makes us all feel like they’re at least talking to us. JMHO.

Wishing Flamingo would put out a progress report too.