By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE opening of Casa Marianas last week will help diversify the CNMI economy, the company said.
On July 24, 2025, Gov. David M. Apatang signed the CNMI Foreign Corporation Promotion Act of 2025, or Public Law 24-6, which promotes the Commonwealth as a trade and investment hub and requires government efforts to, among other things, leverage digital marketing to showcase the islands’ investment opportunities and business-friendly environment.
The Act requires the Department of Commerce’s Office of Foreign Liaison to offer a comprehensive package of financial and non-financial incentives, which may include tax credits, exemptions or reductions, grants, and other forms of financial assistance.
In today’s digital economy, homes for digital nomads are rapidly gaining popularity, but Casa Marianas owner Blaine Graboyes said he saw a “huge gap” in the Commonwealth.
“There was a void here in the island community for digital people who want to be together for work,” he said.
A digital nomad himself, Graboyes is a member of clubs such as Soho House, which provide members with co-working spaces everywhere from London to Los Angeles. This type of shared work space, he said, is common throughout the U.S. mainland and Europe.
In an interview during the grand opening of Casa Marianas at the Gold Beach Hotel on Beach Road Wednesday last week, Graboyes said people like him are the target market. The goal, he said, is to help create 1,000 businesses in the CNMI over the next five years by bringing digital nomads to the islands, where they can register and operate new companies.
Casa Marianas will provide mail handling, business services, and other support needed to work remotely.
Casa Marianas is the first co-working space specifically for digital nomads in the CNMI, Graboyes said. By opening the facility, he said he and business partner Kevin Tang aim to help build a digital economy and diversify the Commonwealth’s economic base.
“It’s for local people and remote workers to come together and work,” he said.
For $20 a month, digital professionals — including software developers, content creators, accountants, business owners, sales and customer service professionals, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, podcasters, and media producers — can access Casa Marianas’ co-working space from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For $50 a month, members receive access to the co-working space and shared upstairs offices. The facility also includes conference rooms, private offices, a kitchen, lounges, and a podcast studio.
Casa Marianas also has 24 bedrooms available for long-term stays by digital nomads and other remote workers starting businesses in the CNMI. Each bedroom costs $275 per week.
After work, digital nomads can enjoy what the islands have to offer, including pristine beaches, local restaurants and cafés, diving sites, bird sanctuaries, historical sites, caves, and adventure trails.
In a separate interview, Trade Council of the Marianas President Vin Armani — who was expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday afternoon as a member of the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority — said new industries such as digital marketing have historically developed in specific locations.
Certain industries, he noted, are closely associated with where they originated: Wall Street for finance, Madison Avenue for advertising, K Street for political lobbying, Hollywood for movies, and Savile Row for tailoring.
Armani said the CNMI is well positioned to attract the segment of the U.S. digital economy that does business with Asia.
The Commonwealth, he said, offers a convenient time zone, year-round favorable weather, a strong business and tax climate, a welcoming community, and ultra-high-speed internet expected to come online soon through Google’s undersea cable connecting to Tinian.
