In the presence of a high-ranking government mission from the Canary Islands in Spain (Adan Martin and Joan Flaquer), ground breaking took place for the AltaBella Sanctuary Collection Golf & Spa in Cap Cana, La Altagracia province. The president of AltaBella Hotels, Felix Felipe spoke of a dream becoming reality with the start of construction. Scheduled for opening in October 2006, the AltaBella Sanctuary will be first hotel-only facility to open in Cap Cana. The hotel was designed by Spanish architect, the late Andres Pineyro, who died recently in a car crash. The US$54 million hotel will go up in an area of 110,000 square meters with 600 meters of beachfront. Its 177 suites will all have ocean views.
Other accommodations under construction at Cap Cana are the Golden Bear Lodge with its 98 two and four-bedroom apartments, the 18 Caleton beach villas that will operate as a boutique hotel and be available later this summer, and the AltaBella Fishing Lodge that is slated for the marina area, with 250 apartments on the market by 2007.
Cap Cana is a 10-year development that has capacity for 5,000 residential units that are selling from US$250,000 to US$6 million. Cap Cana boasts 25 million square meters and 8.5 kilometers of prime coastline, including 5.5 kilometers of some of the best beaches in the world.