{"id":265423,"date":"2019-02-26T11:19:33","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T15:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.carib-export.com\/bringing-the-wow-factor-to-villas-at-sunset-lane\/"},"modified":"2022-06-12T22:50:43","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T02:50:43","slug":"bringing-the-wow-factor-to-villas-at-sunset-lane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/content.carib-export.com\/nl\/blog\/bringing-the-wow-factor-to-villas-at-sunset-lane\/","title":{"rendered":"De wow-factor naar villa’s op Sunset Lane brengen"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Her passion had always been for cooking, Caribbean dishes in particular and after a long career in corporate America as a tax accountant, Jacqueline Cort-Thomas returned to the classroom to learn the science of food. The idea was to build a business that provided private catering for high-end clients in New York City, but after an internship at the famous W Hotel in New York she decided to go into the hotel trade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was so impressed with the boldness of colours used in the rooms, the welcoming service offered by the staff, and the feeling of being pampered in someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s home,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And at that moment, I decided to duplicate such a property in Antigua where I grew up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birthing the Vision<\/strong>
Jacquline was so \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwowed\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 by her experience at the W Hotel, it became the inspiration behind her vision of a 10-room, Caribbean-inspired property, that would also wow it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122sits guests. In 2007, the Government of Antigua were offering concessions for the construction of small properties during Cricket World Cup which would enable the purchase of building supplies, furniture and fixtures tax free. Naturally, Jacquline saw this as her opportunity to make her vision a reality and in 2009, two years after purchasing land with her sister and business partner, Villas at Sunset Lane opened its doors. <\/p>\n\n\n

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As the new kid on the block, Cort-Thomas shared that her welcome wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t warm from the other hoteliers on the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No one extended a hand to me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.  \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was a lonely path; I felt push back and in one case outright animosity, but I ignored it, worked around it, and moved forward.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, Jaqueline proved her critics wrong by winning numerous industry awards, including some from global travel site Expedia and the Antigua Tourist Board. These proved her credible, and earned her critics\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 respect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Decade Strong. What Next?<\/strong>
This year Villas at Sunset Lane celebrates a decade in operation, and Jacqueline is focused on expanding to a 15-room property that can compete against the disruption that she has faced since Air BnB has entered into the hotel industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Airbnb have done an excellent job in forcing prices down, so more hotels are available to individuals unable or willing to pay higher prices for the wonderful service they would receive,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That has impacted me, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had to change, or else I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d end up being a dinosaur.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaqueline\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s changing her strategy focusing on the group travel market in order to compete more effectively with the Airbnb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be positive and say I believe this will take off, which will then provide the additional revenue to build out the extra rooms I need for the expansion,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Takeaway?<\/strong>
For those considering having a go at entrepreneurship:<\/p>\n\n\n\n