TORONTO — After purchasing the 257-room Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort Casino & Spa from The Maho Group, with intent to assume operations of the St. Maarten property as of Nov. 1, the Sunwing Travel Group says the resort is now inoperable and will remain closed for the winter season.

The Maho Group and Sunwing Travel Group have jointly decided to extend a three-day paid work week to employees impacted by the closures of Great Bay as well as Maho Beach, Ocean Point, and Royal Islander Club.

While the majority of staff will not have to report to work on a daily basis to receive this pay, some will be called upon to provide assistance in the coming weeks and will be entitled to full payment for any additional hours worked beyond the three paid days per week, says Sunwing.

“Sunwing has been an incredibly generous company throughout the aftermath of Hurricane Irma; their devotion to the destination and its residents is genuine and authentic,” said Saro Spadaro, President & CEO of The Maho Group.

“Under the tragic current circumstances, aligning ourselves with a company like Sunwing is especially important. They have strong resources including an airline, making them an ideal partner for this transaction.”

Stephen Hunter, CEO of Sunwing Travel Group, said that “In light of the passing of Hurricane Irma, and while this is a dire time for the entire destination, we respect the property’s incredibly passionate employees.”

Hunter added that “despite the damage, we are committed to the redevelopment of the resort and look forward to contributing meaningfully to the Island’s economy.”

Hunter and Spadaro have agreed to work closely together toward the reconstruction of all of the properties owned by their respective companies on the island. All of the resorts remain closed following the passing of Hurricane Irma.