Development work on a US$30m (£18.53m, €22.13m) resort and spa in Dominica is entering the final stages of development with an expected opening date of early 2014.

The 68-bedroom Cabrits Resort and Spa, located just outside of Portsmouth on the edge of Cabrits National Park, will feature wellness facilities including a spa, pool and fitness centre. Also included will be a restaurant, shops and conference facilities to fit 200 people.

Construction on the hotel, which commenced in September 2011, will create 100 permanent jobs and is the first phase of a government push to develop the Cabrits area of Dominica.

“We are making allowances for duty free shops because we have an operational cruise ship berth right now so we will also be catering for visitors from cruise ships,” said Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. “There will be shops with local selling crafts and the spa will be open to the general public.”

The multi-million dollar project is being fully financed by the kingdom of Morocco as a gift to the government of Dominica, which has said that five proposals of interests were being considered for management of the resort and spa.