Cory Santana Appointed General Manager at The Botany as New Luxury Resort Prepares to Open on St. Thomas

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August 20, 2026 5:38 PM

Cory Santana has been appointed as General Manager at The Botany, a new independent resort and spa scheduled to open this winter as the first luxury resort on St. Thomas’ western tip. The appointment has been announced as the intimate Caribbean retreat prepares to introduce a new luxury hospitality experience within the secluded setting of The Preserve at Botany Bay.

More than 25 years of leadership experience across the Caribbean have been brought to the General Manager position by Santana. Responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the guest experience will be assumed as The Botany moves towards its opening, with extensive experience in luxury resort operations, pre-opening activity, repositioning and team development expected to support the launch.

Most recently, the role of General Manager was held by Santana at Secret Harbour Resort in St. Thomas. Luxury resorts have also been led throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, where pre-opening and repositioning efforts have been guided, high-performing teams have been cultivated and operational excellence has been pursued.

The new 20-villa luxury retreat has been positioned within a private gated community at The Preserve at Botany Bay, a secluded sanctuary spanning more than 300 acres of pristine landscapes and dramatic ocean vistas. The extraordinary setting has been placed at the centre of the resort concept, with the coastline and natural beauty of St. Thomas intended to shape every aspect of the guest experience.

The Botany is managed by Practice Hospitality, a hotel operator headquartered in Dallas that focuses on managing and assisting owners in developing hotels with intentionally crafted, deeply resonant experiences and soul.

What will Cory Santana oversee as General Manager of The Botany?

As General Manager, Santana will oversee all aspects of the guest experience at The Botany. The role has been assigned at a particularly important time, with the new independent resort and spa preparing to open this winter.

A wide range of operational responsibilities is expected to be brought together under the General Manager position. The overall guest journey will need to be established and maintained as the resort enters its opening phase, while operational standards and team performance are expected to be supported across the property.

The experience developed by Santana over more than 25 years of Caribbean leadership is expected to provide a strong foundation for these responsibilities. Luxury resorts across several Caribbean destinations have been led, giving the new General Manager extensive familiarity with the regional hospitality environment.

Particular experience has also been developed in pre-opening activity. This background is especially relevant to The Botany because the resort is preparing for its inaugural opening. The transition from development and preparation into live operations can require careful coordination across guest service, staffing, operational systems and the broader hospitality experience.

The responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the guest experience will therefore extend across the entire resort environment. As The Botany opens its doors, the leadership experience brought by Santana is expected to support the establishment of the standards and service culture associated with the new luxury property.

Why is more than 25 years of Caribbean leadership experience important?

More than 25 years of leadership experience across the Caribbean have been accumulated by Santana. This extensive regional background has been developed through leadership roles at luxury resorts in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and St. Thomas.

Such experience has provided familiarity with the operational environment of Caribbean luxury hospitality. Resorts in the region are often shaped by their destinations, natural surroundings and the expectations of travellers seeking distinctive experiences.

At The Botany, the setting itself has been placed at the centre of the resort proposition. The island’s coastline and natural beauty are intended to shape every aspect of the guest experience. Regional experience is therefore expected to complement the destination-focused approach established for the property.

Santana has also been involved in guiding pre-opening and repositioning efforts. These responsibilities require leadership during periods when hotel or resort operations are being established, changed or strategically repositioned.

High-performing teams have also been cultivated throughout his career, while operational excellence has been driven across luxury resort environments. These areas of experience are expected to be particularly relevant as The Botany prepares to establish its own operational culture.

The combination of long-term Caribbean experience, luxury resort leadership and direct involvement in property transitions has therefore been brought into the General Manager appointment.

How does Santana’s experience at Secret Harbour Resort support the new role?

Most recently, Santana served as General Manager of Secret Harbour Resort in St. Thomas. This role has provided direct leadership experience on the same island where The Botany is preparing to open.

Knowledge of St. Thomas has therefore been developed through recent operational leadership experience. While each resort operates with its own identity, setting and market proposition, familiarity with the destination can provide valuable regional context.

The transition from leading Secret Harbour Resort to becoming General Manager of The Botany has also maintained Santana’s professional connection with St. Thomas. The new position has been assumed as a different segment of the island’s luxury hospitality landscape is being prepared for introduction.

The Botany has been described as the first luxury resort on St. Thomas’ western tip. Its location within The Preserve at Botany Bay is expected to distinguish its guest experience through a secluded setting surrounded by dramatic natural landscapes and ocean vistas.

Recent experience as General Manager in St. Thomas is expected to complement Santana’s broader leadership background across the Caribbean. The combination of island familiarity and experience in other Caribbean markets has created a substantial foundation for overseeing the new resort.

As The Botany prepares to open, this knowledge is expected to support leadership across the many operational and guest experience considerations associated with launching an independent luxury resort.

What experience has been gained across Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica?

Luxury resorts throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica have been led by Santana during his hospitality career. These leadership roles have contributed to more than 25 years of experience across the Caribbean.

Pre-opening efforts have been guided in these markets, providing direct experience in the preparation and launch of hospitality operations. Such experience can involve the coordination of teams and operational systems before a property begins receiving guests.

Repositioning efforts have also been guided during Santana’s career. This work has involved supporting luxury resorts as their market positioning and operational direction were developed or renewed.

High-performing teams have been cultivated as part of these leadership responsibilities. Team development is particularly important in luxury hospitality, where the guest experience is shaped substantially through service delivery and the performance of employees across the property.

Operational excellence has also been driven throughout these resort leadership roles. This focus is expected to be brought to The Botany as the property establishes its operating standards.

The breadth of Caribbean experience means that professional responsibilities have been undertaken across several distinct destinations. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and St. Thomas have all formed part of Santana’s leadership journey before the new General Manager appointment.

This background is now expected to support The Botany as it prepares for its first winter opening.

What makes The Botany different from other luxury resorts in St. Thomas?

The Botany is being introduced as a new independent resort and spa and as the first luxury resort on St. Thomas’ western tip. The property has been designed around a secluded natural setting where the surrounding landscape is intended to play a defining role in the guest experience.

The resort is located within a private gated community on The Preserve at Botany Bay. This sanctuary spans more than 300 acres of pristine landscapes and dramatic ocean vistas.

A 20-villa format has been established for the intimate retreat. The relatively limited number of villas forms part of the property’s approach, with the setting and scale intended to support a more secluded resort environment.

The island’s coastline and natural beauty have been positioned as central influences on every aspect of the guest experience. Rather than treating the surrounding environment simply as a backdrop, the resort concept has been developed around the extraordinary qualities of its location.

The western tip of St. Thomas provides the geographical setting for this approach. The natural landscapes and ocean vistas surrounding The Preserve at Botany Bay are expected to form an integral part of the experience offered at The Botany.

As the resort prepares for its opening this winter, its independent positioning and intimate 20-villa concept are expected to establish a distinct presence within the St. Thomas hospitality market.

How will the location at The Preserve at Botany Bay shape the guest experience?

The Botany has been tucked within a private gated community on The Preserve at Botany Bay. More than 300 acres of pristine landscapes and dramatic ocean vistas surround the secluded sanctuary.

This location has been incorporated directly into the resort’s concept. The extraordinary setting is intended to influence every aspect of the guest experience, with St. Thomas’ coastline and natural beauty forming key elements of the overall environment.

For an intimate 20-villa retreat, the surrounding landscape can become a defining part of the sense of place. The property’s approach has been shaped around its connection with the destination rather than separating the resort experience from the natural environment.

The secluded location is also expected to contribute to the character of the property. Guests will be accommodated within a private setting inside the gated community, while the larger sanctuary of The Preserve at Botany Bay provides the broader natural context.

As General Manager, Santana will oversee the guest experience within this distinctive environment. His previous work across Caribbean luxury resorts is expected to provide experience relevant to operating properties where destination and setting form important parts of the overall proposition.

The relationship between the resort and its surroundings is therefore expected to remain central as The Botany moves towards opening.

How will Practice Hospitality support The Botany?

The Botany is managed by Practice Hospitality. The hotel operator is headquartered in Dallas and is focused on managing and assisting owners in developing hotels with intentionally crafted, deeply resonant experiences and soul.

More than a century of collective experience in the independent hospitality space has been brought together through Practice Hospitality. The company has positioned its operating approach around human leadership and the development of distinctive hotel experiences.

This management philosophy has particular relevance to The Botany because the property is being introduced as an independent resort and spa. Independent hotels and resorts can often be shaped strongly by their individual locations, concepts and identities.

Practice Hospitality’s role is expected to support the development and management of the property as it prepares for opening. The leadership of Santana as General Manager will operate within this management structure.

The combination of an independent luxury resort concept, an experienced Caribbean hospitality leader and a management company focused on intentionally crafted experiences has established the operational framework for The Botany’s upcoming launch.

As the property enters its opening phase, the experience of Practice Hospitality is expected to be applied alongside the resort leadership background brought by Santana.

Why is the General Manager appointment important before the winter opening?

The appointment of Cory Santana as General Manager has been announced ahead of the opening of The Botany this winter. The timing is significant because pre-opening leadership can play a central role in preparing a new resort for the transition into full guest operations.

Santana brings direct experience in guiding pre-opening efforts, making this background particularly relevant as the new independent resort and spa moves towards launch.

The establishment of high-performing teams will be an important consideration during the opening phase. Santana has previously cultivated such teams throughout his luxury resort leadership career.

Operational excellence has also been a focus of his previous experience. As a new property, The Botany will need to establish the operational standards that support its intended guest experience from the beginning.

The guest experience itself will be overseen in all its aspects by the newly appointed General Manager. This responsibility has been connected directly with the resort’s distinctive location and its concept as an intimate 20-villa retreat.

The appointment has therefore provided experienced leadership ahead of a major operational milestone. More than 25 years of Caribbean experience has been placed at the centre of the property’s preparations for opening.

What does Cory Santana’s appointment mean for The Botany’s future?

The appointment of Cory Santana as General Manager has brought extensive Caribbean luxury resort experience to The Botany as it prepares to open this winter.

More than 25 years of leadership experience has been developed across St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Pre-opening and repositioning efforts have been guided, high-performing teams have been cultivated and operational excellence has been driven across luxury resort environments.

Most recently, Santana served as General Manager of Secret Harbour Resort in St. Thomas. The move to The Botany therefore continues a professional connection with the island while introducing him to the leadership of a new independent luxury resort.

The new property is being established as the first luxury resort on St. Thomas’ western tip. Its location within The Preserve at Botany Bay, surrounded by more than 300 acres of pristine landscapes and dramatic ocean vistas, is expected to shape the identity of the 20-villa retreat.

The island’s coastline and natural beauty are intended to influence every aspect of the guest experience, which will be overseen by Santana under his new responsibilities.

Managed by Practice Hospitality, The Botany is now moving towards its winter opening with an experienced General Manager in place. The combination of long-term Caribbean leadership, pre-opening experience and familiarity with St. Thomas is expected to support the resort as its next chapter begins.