BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 10, 2017 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris extends his heartfelt condolences, and those of the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis, to the Zuliani family who has lost a dynamic and loving patriarch in the person of Mr. Alceo “Archie” Zuliani.
Mr. Archie Zuliani died Saturday, July 8th, 2017 in Toronto, Canada at the age of 77 years old. A Canadian of Italian descent, Mr. Zuliani established Trans-Americainvest (St. Kitts) Limited, which developed the iconic 18-acre Royal St. Kitts Hotel and Casino property in Frigate Bay.
Mr. Zuliani was also instrumental in introducing the investor behind the Royal St. Kitts Beach Resort, which is now known as the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino, to the Federation.
He is survived by his son, John, who is the President of Trans-Americainvest (St. Kitts) Limited/Royal St. Kitts Hotel.
Mr. Archie Zuliani is highly regarded as a trailblazer who helped to dramatically expand St. Kitts and Nevis’ tourism industry, starting in the early 1980s.
He became a fixture in the local community through his employment of hundreds of Kittitians and Nevisians, as well as through his longstanding charitable contributions to organizations such as the St. Christopher Children’s Home, to which he provided Christmas lunch and gifts and monetary donations on an annual basis.
During the 1990s, Mr. Zuliani also impacted upon scores of students throughout St. Kitts who were the beneficiaries of a scholarship fund that covered their uniforms and textbooks from first form all the way through fifth form.
Mr. Zuliani will be best remembered for his passion for hotel development, which he married with his love for the country of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Royal St. Kitts Hotel, which initially opened in May 1976, as the first hotel in Frigate Bay reopened on September 10th, 1983 as Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino under the ownership of Trans-Americainvest (St. Kitts) Limited, which gave St. Kitts its very first major hotel by adding nearly 200 rooms to the original 100 rooms.
In 1985, Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino was leased to Jack Tar Village, a major hotel chain based in Dallas. For the next 17 years, the hotel was the predominant tourist resort in St. Kitts and Nevis, bringing in successful charters from Boston, Dallas and Toronto on a weekly basis.
The hotel closed on December 8th, 2002 and officially reopened on December 1st, 2007 as Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino, formerly known as Jack Tar Village.
Less than one year after re-opening, the Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino won the Most Creative Business Award at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s 2008-2009 Tourism Awards. It was around that time that Mr. Zuliani conceptualized a cutting-edge ownership program called Vacation for Life, which falls under Citizenship-by-Investment.
The Royal St. Kitts Hotel currently employs over 100 people and in November will see the opening of the Royal Plaza, which further demonstrates the Zulianis’ commitment to the Federation’s tourism industry.
Upon learning of Mr. Zuliani’s death, Prime Minister Harris reflected on the significant contributions that he made towards the socio-economic development of St. Kitts and Nevis, particularly in the area of tourism.
“We have lost an investor who had a huge heart of love for our people and for our country. In good times and in bad times, Archie Zuliani remained committed to St. Kitts and Nevis,” Prime Minister Harris stated Saturday, noting that his heart and prayers are with the Zuliani family during this difficult time as they mourn this profound loss.
