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News : Ministry of Tourism Updates Last Updated: Mar 24, 2017 - 11:35:30 PM


Baha Mar soft opening one month away
By Krystel Brown, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Mar 24, 2017 - 9:22:05 PM

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Nassau, Bahamas - Baha Mar, which will partially open in exactly one month, is the ‘greatest tourism development in The Bahamas in the last 20 years’,” Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said on Tuesday.

The minister’s comment came as Baha Mar received its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) from the government. Up to 1,000 rooms will be open for Baha Mar’s April 21 soft launch.

“We will have one of the more modern facilities and the brands are incredible that are coming here and certainly the largest casino floor in the Caribbean,” Wilchcombe said following the handover ceremony at Baha Mar. “This is going to be phenomenal. People will come and search for this as they did with Atlantis. This is going to help us.”

Baha Mar is expected to attract an additional 315,000 air passengers annually to The Bahamas.

“I feel very good about this development and the work that went unto this,” Wilchcombe added. “Next month is going to be great. This is the greatest development in the last 20 years.”

Prime Minister Perry Christie, who was on hand for the handover, shared similar sentiments.

“Today marks an important day of progress for Baha Mar and for our country,” Christie said. “Today Baha Mar is being transferred to a world class company. One that successfully manages prestigious hotels across the world, including three in the Caribbean.

“We are grateful for such a strong level of experience and investment to usher in new opportunities for the Bahamian people…This is a great development in the history of the country. It’s going to have an enormous economic impact on people. It’s going to give people a new lease on life.”

Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited’s (CTFE), a Hong Kong based conglomerate, took ownership of the resort last year and committed to a phased opening. The resort will comprise of the Grand Hyatt, the SLS Lux and Rosewood.

Graeme Davis, president of CTFE Bahamas subsidiary, expressed gratitude.

“We are thrilled to be at this occasion which is receiving our TCO, our temporary certificate of occupancy, which allows us to sleep in guest rooms, cook in our kitchen, get our staff trained. The next thirty days is a huge process for us to be opened. We’re excited, were ready.”

Davis said the hotel will be full on the opening day. Only invited guests will stay at the resort. However, prospective guests will be able to book their stay “very soon”, Davis said.

“It takes time, but we want to get it right,” Davis said, adding that there is pent up demand. “Our restaurants, our bars and of course our casino, will be fully operational. The golf course will be fully operational, the Jack Nicolas Signature Course, is stunning, it’s been beautifully manicured. Our convention center will be fully operational as well.

“…We’re just over 1,000 in the hiring process and reaching our full potential of opening with 1,500 associates on day one on April 21. We’re well on our way. We have an exciting team that is ready to make sure we are open to the world and set the new standards for this destination.”



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