HOW TWO CARIBBEAN RESORTS CAME BACK FIGHTING FROM DEVASTATING HURRICANES .
By BARBARA BOHN , JUDY CROWN AND JEFF WEINSTEIN
Hurricanes Irma and Maria , which hit in 2017 , did a number on hundreds of Caribbean resorts : Last year , the region lost more than US $ 1 billion in tourism revenue , and recovery efforts cost close to US $ 6 billion , according to an estimate by the Caribbean Tourism Organization .
Some properties opened quickly or took only a few months to make repairs . Others faced a daunting overhaul and used the opportunity to rebuild bigger and better . Complicating the picture were shortages of skilled labor and a supply chain backed up to fulfill orders for furnishings from barstools to beds . Here ’ s how two resorts restored their distinctive architecture and design .
AN ITALIAN TOUCH ON ST . BARTHS Skilled labor was hard to come by on Saint Barthélemy in the year after Hurricane Irma ravaged resorts in the French West Indies . To rebuild the badly damaged Le
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