Frenchman’s Reef, the largest resort on St. Thomas, was smashed by Hurricane Irma, which breached roofs, caved-in walls, and felled trees across the oceanfront property. Two years later, the hotel remains closed as its owner quarrels with insurers over millions in damages.
It sounds bad, but it’s business as usual in the Caribbean, where resort owners balance room rates against insurance premiums and brace for the next disaster. Frenchman’s Reef is a good example. It closed for extensive repairs in 1997 after hurricanes battered the property in previous years.
