Anichi Resort & Spa
Anichi Resort & Spa is a 128-room beachfront hotel on Picard Beach at Portsmouth, carrying the Autograph Collection brand with Highgate as operator; this position is a freehold suite inside it. Almost nobody buys for the room — they buy because Anichi sits on the Citizenship by Investment Unit's approved real estate list. It suits a buyer whose first objective is a second citizenship and who would rather hold an asset than donate to a government fund. It suits you badly as a Caribbean home: owners may occupy two weeks a year.
What you actually own
Two ownership structures exist here. A freehold buyer takes a title deed to an identified suite; a preferred-share buyer receives a certificate and a fractional interest across the property, owning no specific room. This position is recorded as freehold with title — the draft instrument is the first document I ask for, not the last.
Use is capped either way: the developer's published position is two weeks a year for freehold owners, one week for shareholders. Rates, staffing, refurbishment and closures are set by the operator under an agreement you did not negotiate. That is the deal, not a defect, but price it as a passive stake in a single-asset hotel business rather than as owning property. The Marriott affiliation is a brand licence that can lapse; ask for the executed management and licence agreements and their termination triggers.
What it costs to get in, and to hold
The price is the smallest number here. Dominica's government fee is US$75,000 for a single applicant, or US$100,000 for a main applicant plus up to three dependants; due diligence adds US$7,500 for the main applicant and US$4,000 per dependant aged 16 or over. None of it is refunded if the application fails.
Conveyancing is where I slow down. The developer's cost table shows a flat US$9,250 in taxes and legal fees, while its own FAQ describes 7.5 per cent in government fees plus 3 per cent legal, and Invest Dominica's land schedule is higher again. I want the exemption named in the sale agreement and that US$9,250 capped and all-in before a deposit moves. Dominica charges no capital gains tax, but the service charge, insurance premium and reserve contribution for this suite are published nowhere I would stand behind.
This property qualifies for the Dominica Citizenship by Investment program.
More in Dominica.
Waterfront Residences at Secret Bay, Dominica
Secret Bay's Waterfront Residences are one-bedroom clifftop villas of 85 sq.m above the Caribbean Sea near Portsmouth, offered freehold from…
Jungle Bay Resort
A completed one-bedroom hotel unit at Jungle Bay Resort on Dominica's southern coast at Soufriere, held freehold and income-producing.
Residences at Secret Bay
A completed one-bedroom, one-bath hotel residence of 128 square metres at Secret Bay, the clifftop resort near Tibay on Dominica's northwest coast.
Residences at Secret Bay — Cliffside Kampesh II, Dominica
A three-bedroom cliffside villa at the Residences at Secret Bay, above Tibay Beach near Portsmouth, Dominica.
Residences at Secret Bay — Cliffside Ti-Fey II, Dominica
A two-bedroom cliffside villa at the Residences at Secret Bay, on Dominica's north-west coast.
Residences at Secret Bay — Mapou Waterfront Villa IV, Dominica
A one-bedroom waterfront villa at the Residences at Secret Bay, Dominica — the accessible entry into a Relais & Châteaux community.
Interested in Anichi Resort & Spa?
Book a private call with Dan to explore availability, ownership options and eligibility.
Book a Private CallDan Merriam & Associates acts for the buyer. Our advice is independent, not contingent on any sale, and we hold no brokerage or developer mandate.
Frequently asked questions
What does it actually cost to hold each year?
Dominica charges no capital gains tax, and the operator is named as responsible for maintenance and upkeep. But the recurring service charge, insurance premium and reserve contribution attaching to this suite are not published anywhere I would rely on. I get all three in writing before a deposit moves — they decide whether the asset feeds you or you feed it.
Can I rent it out myself?
No. The hotel trades as a single business: the operator sets rates, takes bookings and distributes to owners on whatever basis the management agreement specifies, with your personal-use weeks carved out of inventory. The developer says yearly returns are paid during construction and after opening, but publishes no split, calculation basis or occupancy assumption — treat any yield quoted in conversation as marketing until it appears in the agreement.
Does it qualify for citizenship, and how long must I hold it?
Yes — Anichi is on the Citizenship by Investment Unit's approved list. The property must be held for three years from the date citizenship is granted, or five years where the next buyer is also a citizenship applicant. Government fees sit on top of the purchase price and are not returned if the file fails on due diligence.
What is the catch?
Your resale market is largely the next cohort of applicants, and you sell against the developer's unsold stock at whatever price it is asking. Dominica sits in the hurricane belt, so insurance adequacy and the reserve fund are not administrative details. And for Americans: US citizens are taxed on worldwide income regardless of a second citizenship, so buy this for mobility, not as a tax plan.