PIC to resume operations, COP unsure

Pacific Islands Club Saipan, which is operated by the E-Land Group of Companies, expects to resume hotel operations this month, over a month since the destruction of Super Typhoon Yutu. The reconstruction of the Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort, on the other hand, remains a question.

According to Matthew Park, chief executive officer of the Saipan chain of the E-Land Group, two of E-Land’s three hotels on Saipan—Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort and PIC Saipan—suffered the most damage during Super Typhoon Yutu, leaving both buildings in complete ruins. Its third hotel, the Kensington Hotel in Marpi, had almost no damage.

“We are one of the worst damaged companies on the island. Not only Coral Ocean but also PIC stopped operations” he said.

Over a month following the destruction, Park said they are expecting to complete re-construction of PIC and resume the hotel’s operations this December.

Unfortunately, they are still uncertain when they will even start the reconstruction, let alone resume hotel operations, of COP because of the extensive damage it sustained.

“If you go to PIC right now, it’s a mess but I think we can finish our rebuilding by end of December…PIC will re-open in December but I’m not sure about Coral Ocean because [there was] too much damage,” he said.

According to PIC Saipan general manager Gloria Cavanagh, PIC expects its first batch of visitors to come in on Dec. 20.

“In a couple of weeks, [PIC] will be opening. We actually have our first guests scheduled to come in on the 20th and we’re going to be fully operational,” she said.

Cavanagh said that reconstruction has been moving quickly and smoothly since the typhoon. “If you go there now, it looks very scary but things are moving quickly,” she added.

Cavanagh said that much of PIC’s roof was damaged, rooms were destroyed, and the swimming pools were also damaged and left filthy.

Fortunately, as the rooms and roof are being rebuilt, the pools will be cleaned and filled before the arrival of the first guests. “Next week, the pools should be done…and we should be starting to fill the pools by the 14th,” she said.

The newly built waterpark that PIC unveiled early this year withstood the test of Super Typhoon Yutu, Cavanagh said, but PIC will also be replacing a few of the parts to ensure optimum safety and to ensure the longevity of the slides.