The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

BAHA MAR has awarded roughly $275 million worth of work, close to 70 per cent of its commitment pledge, to Bahamian contractors to-date, a senior executive said yesterday.

Telling this newspaper that approximately $160 million was still under negotiation, Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of governmental and external affairs, confirmed that roughly 69 per cent of the $400 million worth of work Baha Mar had pledged to award to Bahamian contractors had been handed out.

He said: “That’s a matter that’s still ongoing because the project is not completed. I can say that certainly at at the moment we still have about $160 million under negotiation. What we have awarded already has been approximately $275 million, and unsuccessful bids were $115 million.”

Mr Sands said bookings for groups and conventions at the multi-billion dollar Baha Mar resort development are “extremely encouraging”, adding that the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Sheraton Nassau Beach Hotel are reporting occupancies in the 60-70 per cent range for the Thanksgiving weekend.

“We’ve been booking for groups and conventions, and interest and tentative bookings have been open. We don’t open the leisure and transient bookings until end of first quarter next year. Bookings for the groups and conventions have been extremely encouraging, very encouraging,” said Mr Sands.

He added that the Wyndham would see moderate occupancy levels this Thanksgiving in the mid 60-70 per cent range, aided by a Thanksgiving slot tournament.

“The Wyndham will have moderate occupancies against our projected plan. The hotel is impacted by construction. We should have occupancies in the mid 60-70 per cent,” Mr Sanda said.

“That is also helped by our Thanksgiving slot tournament that we’re doing. That’s almost in line with what we did last year at the Wyndham. We’re certainly working on the occupancy at the Sheraton. They’re in the high 60’s. There may be some impact with the brand change to Meli�, but we’re cautiously optimistic, recognising that we have announced a brand change that will become effect December 1.”

Speaking on Baha Mar’s staff recruitment drive, Mr Sands said: “We have received a significant amount of applications online, and we have recently set in place a number of recruitment managers to begin to sort through those, put them into different categories and then, in very short order, a number of those persons will be called for the first round of interface between our individuals and themselves.

“We’re beginning to work towards the goal of having pools of pre-qualified individuals to be considered by the brands for hiring, which will be taking place by third quarter of next year.”

Combined employment at the Baha Mar hotels could be in excess of 5,000 persons, said Mr Sands.

The $3.5 billion resort development is scheduled to open in December 2014 with a 1,000 room hotel and 100,000 square foot Las Vegas-style casino hotel as its centerpiece, as well as a 700-room Grand Hyatt, a 300-room Mondarin and the 200-room Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.