Construction at Caneel Ruins Surprises V.I. National Park

Caneel Bay Resort’s efforts to accommodate more guests for dinner in the ruins adjacent to the Equator restaurant by installing a floor caught the attention of V.I. National Park Archaeologist Ken Wild last week.

The resort is in the process of constructing a wooden floor to increase the maximum number of people the ruins can accommodate for dinner from 14 to 35 or 40, according to one resort official.

“There was a little ditch there that was unusable, so we’re just raising the floor to have a bigger function space,” said Caneel Bay Resort Manager Nikolay Hotze, who admitted he did not know whether the ruins were protected. “It’s a very popular space for weddings, but the maximum we can hold for dinner is 14 people, so we’re extending that space so we can put 35 to 40 people in the ruins.”