Jimmy Buffett was in St. Thomas on Friday to unveil plans for the first Margaritaville Vacation Club.

Buffett is partnering with Wyndham to open the 262-unit resort, located at the former Renaissance Grand Beach Resort in Smith Bay on St. Thomas.

The hotel property has been abandoned for years, and Wyndham plans to invest $90 million to transform it into the flagship Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham property.

Friday’s reception took place at Penga, the Point Pleasant Resort restaurant that overlooks the site of the new Margaritaville resort.

Kicking off his flip-flops, Buffett picked up his guitar and sang three songs – “Boat Drinks,” which he said was inspired by a trip to St. Thomas; “Volcano”; and, of course, “Margaritaville” – to the small crowd as the sun began to set over Water Bay.

Buffett came to St. Thomas on his first sailboat in 1972, a boat he bought with the money he made from his first album. He lived on his boat at the old Sheraton Marina off and on for about a year, playing gigs in the area and making friends.

When the opportunity to bring his Margaritaville brand to the Virgin Islands arose, Buffet said, he jumped at the chance, seeing it as a perfect fit.

Buffett said the brand is about a lifestyle, and a way to connect with his fans – also known as “parrot heads.”

“We sell escapism,” he said. “They’ve been escaping through our music for so long, this is a real place on the beach, Margaritaville. It’s about appealing to the people who’ve been fans for so long.”

Buffett said he plans to buy the first four timeshare units at the resort so his musicians and crew can rotate through. Music will be a big part of the resort, with live acts playing regularly – maybe even Buffett himself.

Buffett currently lives on St. Barths and pilots his own seaplane, which he said would be very easy to land in Water Bay.

“You never know when I’m going to show up,” Buffett said, referring to the future resort.

Construction on the resort will begin in July. The first phase – which includes the main administration buildings, restaurant, common areas and the units by the pool – will take about 18 months to complete.

Read the full article.

New Margaritaville properties are sprouting up everywhere! Two weeks ago came the announcement of a Margaritaville resort in St. Thomas. The day before that, a Margaritaville restaurant opened in Cincinnati. Another restaurant looks to be in the works in the Pigeon Forge area, and now a Margaritaville Casino and restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Officials with the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa announced plans to build a 500-room hotel tower Monday, which they claim would bring Tulsa around 800 new permanent jobs and its construction nearly 2,000 more.

The casino’s expansion will feature a 22-story Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant, complete with its own spa, convention and meeting center and a handful of restaurants.

The facility will also hold some 750 electronic gaming devices and 20 table games within its projected 45,000 square feet of new gaming space, according to the casino.

Officials say the groundbreaking will begin in the fall, with plans to open the $250 million-facility by early 2015.

A press conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the River Spirit Event Center to officially announce the project.

Soon you’ll be able to stay at Margaritaville next time you’re in St. Thomas, USVI:

The former Renaissance Grand Beach Resort property has been boarded up for years, but Wyndham announced this week that it will soon be given new life as a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville resort.

Wyndham made the announcement at its quarterly earnings call Wednesday.

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steve Holmes said Wyndham is excited about partnering with Buffett as a way to grow the timeshare division of the company.

This won’t be the only new Margaritaville resort coming:

We’re very excited to announce that Margaritaville has entered into a partnership with Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company, to create Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham. Wyndham will develop Margaritaville resorts, starting with the conversion of a 34-acre property in St. Thomas, slated to begin later this year. Stay tuned for updates!

What locale would you like to see a Margaritaville resort?

(hat tip Michael B)

Jimmy Buffett’s latest Margaritaville restaurant opens at 8:30 tonight in Cincinnati! The opening coincides with the grand opening of the new Horseshoe Casino, in which Margaritaville resides.

The casino, along with Margaritaville, held a dry run last week, a media event on Saturday, and a parrothead pre-opening party on Sunday.

Cincinnati.com has a good review of the atmosphere, food, and drinks: First Taste: Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

The 14,000 sq. ft. restaurant is located adjacent to the Horseshoe’s main entrance on Broadway and features seating for approximately 400. An open-air dining patio connects to the casino’s urban plaza and event lawn. The restaurant also offers a Margaritaville retail store, featuring unique Margaritaville merchandise, music and island apparel.

The newest Margaritaville doesn’t open until Monday, but a few hundred lucky parrotheads were able to get a sneak peak inside the 14,000 sq. ft. restaurant on Wednesday night as part of the Horseshoe Casino’s controlled demonstration for regulators.

With seating for 400, Margaritaville Cincinnati features an open-air dining patio that connects to the casino’s urban plaza and event lawn. The restaurant will also offer a Margaritaville retail store. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is the first of four restaurants that will be located at Horseshoe Cincinnati.

Thanks to our twitter follower @obc2 for providing us with some photos from inside the restaurant:

Read more about the newest Margaritaville at margaritavillecincinnati.com