CSE Secretary Ingrid Mathurin (left) addresses Saint Martin Beach Resort employees on Friday. (Robert Luckock photo)
~Employees currently still on payroll~
ANSE MARCEL--For the first time since the former Secrets Resort closed in December 2025, the Committee Social et Economique (CSE), the body that represents the 132 employees of what is now the Saint Martin Beach Resort, has spoken out about its concerns over the future of the hotel and employees many of who have worked there for decades.
CSE convened a gathering of a large section of employees for a demonstration in front of the hotel on Friday, February 13, to provide an update. Employees were informed that the hotel owners have filed for receivership (redressement judiciare), a court hearing for which is scheduled for Thursday, February 19.
It wanted to alert the authorities to the precariousness of the professional future of employees in what it said is an extremely limited job market in the region.
CSE Secretary Ingrid Mathurin provided clarity on events leading up to the hotel’s closure as a Secrets Resort. The hotel owners, a company comprising Americans and Europeans, bought the hotel back in 2019 and entrusted the management of it to Secrets. When the owners no longer wanted that arrangement with Secrets they decided in June 2025 to change the name to Saint Martin Beach Resort, an independent hotel.
“The hotel opened in 2020 as a Secrets Resort and two weeks later COVID came,” Mathurin explained. “Then in 2021 it reopened but it was premature because even in 2020 the hotel was not ready. Repairs had not been done properly, and during COVID nothing could be done anyway with restrictions that were in place. In 2021 we were back to square one as the hotel continued to deteriorate in the space of a year.
“Fast forward to 2025, still as a Secrets Resort, the owners told staff they were contemplating leaving Secrets. They could have chosen another brand to manage the hotel, but decided to stay independent. But they didn’t want to put any more money into the hotel and it couldn’t operate unless it was properly repaired.”
The owners had a plan to close in June 2025 until December 20205 for phase one of repairs, and to reopen in December for the season. Then when the season was over the hotel would close again for phase two.
“But they did an about turn and decided to stay open. At that time there was no way to make reservations and people did not know about the name change. The Secrets site just said the hotel was closed,” Mathurin continued.
“The owners assured staff they would still get paid until they got organised. The security commission when it came to inspect the hotel said that fire hazards were not addressed. The commission never said that the hotel had to close but measures needed to be taken to deal with fire and safety precautions.
“The owners took that opportunity to close the hotel within five days. We only learnt what was going on by the press. Basically they (owners) wanted to close and be rid of the payroll. Our regret is not that we didn’t know the hotel was in difficulties but lack of communication. We always kept the dialogue open.
“We were told that we were going to go from all-inclusive to the European Plan (EP) (room only). That would mean less employees to run the hotel. They mentioned anywhere from 85 to 50 employees would be retained. What will happen to all the other employees ? We wanted to know what plan they have…how many restaurants are going to open, what kind of room service, what are the hours, etcetera.
“We have been asking for their plans for a year and a half and nothing has happened. There is no plan for repairs and no plan for managing the hotel. There are serious issues with mould due to roofs leaking. Those are extensive repairs that the owners have to deal with. We don’t have a general manager anymore because he resigned after four years.”
The owners have filed for receivership, not bankruptcy. An administrator will be appointed by the court to decide on what measures will be taken for the future of the hotel going forward. Currently all the employees are still being paid. They have not been fired as that brings into play a lot of legal implications for compensation.
CSE has deplored the lack of intervention by elected officials, except for Senator Annick Pétrus. The hotel has changed hands many times and is regarded as the second most important hotel on the French side contributing to the tourism economy.
