HOPKINS, Belize – Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newly renovated Great House, the main building onsite and the heart of this award-winning resort. To commemorate the occasion, Hamanasi will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 25, 2015. The boutique resort closed to the public in late 2014 in order to accomplish 10,000 square feet of additions and renovations. Now completed, the Great House provides additional space for work and play, and offers guests an incomparable 360-degree view of their stunning, tropical setting.The ceremony will take place 4-6 p.m. on the property. During cocktail hour, guests will sip Belizean beverages and enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres while listening to a steel drum band, followed by a special Garifuna drumming and dancing presentation. Hamanasi Owner Dana Krauskopf will speak before introducing the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, the Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. for the ribbon cutting. Following the ceremony, guests are invited to stay for champagne and more live entertainment. There will also be a private VIP wine tasting and sunset reception on the Great House widow’s walk. Dinner in Singanga Restaurant is reserved for VIPs and in-house guests.
The Great House renovation came out of a need to expand the available public space to better accommodate the increase in guests as well as a desire to elevate comfort and design. However, staying committed to sustainability and limiting the carbon footprint were fundamental parts of the process.
Heavy timber truss construction is common in the Caribbean’s traditional colonial architecture but rare in Belize, making the Great House design unlike any other in the country. Local craftsmen built the second-floor trusses with international input in the architecture and design by PE Flurry Designs and Vermont Timberworks. Local Belizeans made most of the furniture – including tables, sofas, buffets, bar stools, chairs and sconces –in Hamanasi's carpentry shop using local hardwoods like Mahogany, Cabbage Bark and Bamboo. A distinctive and breathtaking feature of this new structure is the widow’s walk, or “Stargazer’s Deck”, allowing guests to see far-off islands in the Caribbean Sea to the dense rainforest and majestic Maya Mountains, as well as dazzling constellations.
On the first floor, guests will enjoy a large veranda with cozy seating, plus a considerable amount of interior lounge space surrounding a gorgeous new bar. A second floor was added during the renovation – doubling the building’s available space – where the new dining area, an expanded bar, professional kitchen and intimate library are located. Guests can refill their glasses at the coffee and wine bar, sit down for fresh Caribbean fare in the Singanga Restaurant, or head over to the library to read, work or relax.
For more information about Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort and the new Great House, visit www.hamanasi.com or call 877-552-3483.