GREAT BAY--The Setai St. Maarten was represented at the National Job Fair 2026 on Thursday, using the event to connect with job seekers and members of the public while continuing to build awareness of the significant employment and career opportunities expected to accompany the luxury resort’s opening at Indigo Bay.
Representatives of The Setai were pleased with the opportunity to engage directly with job seekers and to discuss the future of the property with other interested persons who visited the National Employment Services Center, NESC, event. The property was represented by Marc van de Bilt, Catherine van de Bilt and Michelle Korteweg.
While the resort remains under construction and is working toward a planned 2028 opening, its presence at the National Job Fair formed part of a broader effort to begin engaging St. Maarten’s workforce well before full recruitment for the property gets underway.
The Setai has projected that the resort will create more than 550 jobs, with more than eight out of every 10 positions, representing more than 440 jobs, expected to be filled by residents of St. Maarten. The employment plans are intended to cover not only traditional hotel positions, but careers across culinary operations, guest services, wellness, recreation, engineering, maintenance, administration, corporate services and management.
The Setai has made clear in recent months that its employment strategy is intended to begin before the doors of the resort open.
Rather than waiting until 2028 to begin looking for employees, the property has outlined plans to work with St. Maarten’s secondary and vocational schools to help connect students and young professionals with the skills the resort will need when it becomes operational.
The resort plans to establish annual internship and apprenticeship opportunities across its departments, giving participants practical exposure to the different areas involved in operating an international luxury hospitality property.
The plans also include internationally recognized hospitality certifications, allowing participants to build qualifications that can support their careers both at The Setai and elsewhere in the hospitality industry.
For aspiring chefs and culinary professionals, The Setai intends to establish a culinary apprenticeship influenced by the Alain Ducasse tradition, providing an opportunity for residents to train to international culinary standards while remaining in St. Maarten.
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Jobs across several levels
The Setai’s employment plans also address an issue that has increasingly formed part of St. Maarten’s labor discussion: ensuring that major tourism investments create pathways beyond entry-level employment.
The resort has outlined a defined management track designed to allow employees to progress from supervisory positions into departmental management and eventually executive leadership.
Previous reporting by The People’s Tribune detailed approximately 60 projected management and corporate services positions covering areas including hotel management, finance, human resources, information technology, sales, marketing, revenue management, events and conference services.
The resort has also projected approximately 135 food and beverage positions, ranging from chefs and culinary professionals to servers, bartenders, sommeliers and other restaurant, beach and pool-service roles.
Another significant employment area will be guest services and wellness. More than 185 positions have previously been outlined across guest-facing rooms operations, spa, wellness, recreation and related administration.
These positions are part of the wider 550-plus workforce projected for the property rather than separate additions to that total.
Job fair offered opportunity for early conversations
Thursday’s National Job Fair provided The Setai with an opportunity to begin having those conversations directly with residents.
Representatives were able to interact with job seekers interested in understanding the type of opportunities that will eventually become available, while also speaking with other visitors who wanted to learn more about the development and its future role in St. Maarten’s tourism industry.
The engagement comes at an important stage for the project. Construction is continuing, but workforce planning is increasingly becoming part of the preparations for eventual operations.
That approach recognizes that filling hundreds of positions, particularly where specialized skills and international service standards are involved, will require preparation well ahead of opening day.
The Setai has therefore positioned training, apprenticeships, certification and career development as part of the project’s local employment strategy, rather than simply focusing on the number of vacancies that will eventually become available.
Its recent workforce initiative has carried the message, “Built here. Built with you.”
Supporting careers, not only jobs
The longer-term objective is to develop a local workforce capable of growing with the property.
For students still deciding on their careers, the planned school partnerships could provide earlier exposure to hospitality, culinary arts and hotel operations. For young professionals, internships and apprenticeships could provide practical experience. For experienced workers and professionals, the range of supervisory, specialist, corporate and management positions could offer opportunities to advance locally.
The strategy is particularly relevant for St. Maarten, where tourism remains the foundation of the economy but interest among students in hospitality studies has historically been limited. Government’s 2026 Study Financing Priority List includes hospitality management and culinary arts among fields connected to national labor-market needs.
The Setai’s plans seek to demonstrate that a hospitality career can extend from frontline service into culinary specialization, finance, technology, marketing, human resources, wellness, operations and executive management.
About The Setai St. Maarten
The Setai St. Maarten is being developed at Indigo Bay as The Setai Hotels’ first Caribbean property.
The development will feature a 205-key hotel and private villas, combining hotel and residential accommodations. Construction is underway, with completion and opening targeted for 2028.
Plans include a beach club with cabanas and butler service, three swimming pools, a 30,000-square-foot destination spa, tennis and pickleball courts, water sports, children’s facilities and five restaurant concepts. The culinary offering will include concepts associated with The Setai brand as well as the involvement of internationally recognized chef Alain Ducasse.
As construction progresses toward 2028, The Setai has indicated that additional information will be provided on employment opportunities and the eventual process residents will use to pursue positions at the property.
