24 July 2025
By Publisher Ray Carmen
From golden towers in Manhattan to sweeping estates in Palm Beach, Donald Trump has long built a name on extravagant real estate and bold ambition. But what happens when that brand of glitz and dealmaking sails into the Caribbean—where paradise meets politics, and hurricanes aren’t just metaphorical?
Welcome to Trump in the Tropics, a story of beachfront mansions, stalled resorts, multimillion-dollar gambles, and a former president’s complex relationship with one of the world’s most desirable—and volatile—real estate frontiers.
A PALACE ON THE SAND
Le Château des Palmiers, Saint Martin
Tucked along the platinum shoreline of Baie aux Prunes on the French side of Saint Martin, Le Château des Palmiers is the crown jewel of Trump’s Caribbean holdings—and perhaps his most enigmatic.
Purchased quietly in 2013, the estate includes a lavish main villa and guest house boasting 11 bedrooms, 12 marble-clad bathrooms, a professional-grade kitchen, oceanfront pool, tennis court, and a private beachfront pavilion. The grounds stretch across nearly five acres of paradise, wrapped in manicured palms and whispers of old-world grandeur.
It was a property fit for royalty—or a president.
In true Trump fashion, the estate was positioned as both a personal retreat and a luxury rental, with nightly rates peaking over $20,000 USD. Public disclosure reports between 2014 and 2016 noted annual earnings between $100,000 and $2 million. But as Trump took office in 2017, the rental figures plummeted. By 2020, the estate was reportedly generating less than $50,000 per year, with significant operational losses.
Even paradise, it seems, can underperform.
STORM CLOUDS AND PRICE CUTS
The Château was thrust into the spotlight when the Trump Organization listed it for $28 million in 2017. Whether it was presidential mystique or market miscalculation, the price tag drew headlines—but few buyers. Over the next five years, the asking price tumbled in dramatic fashion, finally resting around $15.5 million, a near 45% drop.
Then came Hurricane Irma. The Category 5 monster tore through Saint Martin in September 2017, flattening 95% of the island’s French side and likely causing severe damage to the estate. The Trump Organization offered few updates beyond a vague statement that they were “assessing the situation.” Rumors swirled of shattered glass, downed palms, and the future of the listing drifting further from reality.
Today, Le Château des Palmiers remains listed, its fate uncertain. Once a symbol of Trump’s Caribbean prowess, it now lingers as a lesson in how luxury, politics, and weather can undo even the most gilded portfolios.
UNFINISHED DREAMS: CAP CANA & CANOUAN
Trump’s Caribbean ambitions were never confined to a single estate. In 2007, amid a wave of regional development, he inked a bold licensing deal to bring the Trump brand to Cap Cana, a 30,000-acre luxury community in the Dominican Republic. The project promised resorts, villas, and a beachfront golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
But the 2008 financial crisis crippled investment, and by 2010, development ground to a halt. Trump pulled back, but not before a string of lawsuits and investor unrest. A 2017 visit by Eric Trump suggested possible revival—but progress remains elusive.
Further south, on Canouan Island in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trump lent his name to an ambitious golf and casino resort starting in 2003. For a moment, the island saw a flash of golden ambition. By the early 2010s, the project was quietly shelved, and Trump eventually reported a modest $3 million gain in land sales—a far cry from the billion-dollar potential once envisioned.
ETHICS, POLITICS & THE CARIBBEAN CONNECTION
Trump’s Caribbean dealings came under intense scrutiny during his presidency. Ethics watchdogs warned that selling luxury property while holding the Oval Office raised troubling questions: would foreign buyers pay a premium for access? Would national interest blur with personal profit?
Despite placing his assets in a revocable trust, critics noted that Trump retained sweeping control. In the case of Le Château des Palmiers, the risk of “perceived favoritism” loomed large. The estate was eventually removed from the official Trump Organization website during his term—a quiet but telling retreat.
LEGACY IN LIMBO
Donald Trump’s Caribbean ventures were conceived in confidence and surrounded by spectacle. But a closer look reveals an empire marked more by aspiration than achievement. Le Château remains unsold. Cap Cana remains stalled. Canouan is long since out of his hands.
And yet, the story is far from over.
In a region where luxury real estate is both status symbol and strategic asset, Trump’s Caribbean chapter offers insight into how global politics, climate threats, and branding bravado can collide—sometimes beautifully, often chaotically.
One thing’s for certain: when the sun sets on Trump’s tropical investments, it will leave behind more than just shadows in the sand. It will leave questions, cautionary tales—and perhaps the blueprint for the next bold dreamer to try their luck in paradise.
