The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Atlantis yesterday unveiled a partnership that will see part of the iconic property, the Beach Towers, rebranded under a different name for the first time in its 27-year history.

The Paradise Island destination resort has teamed with Grammy Award-winning musician and producer, Pharrell Williams, and his business partner David Grutman, in a deal that was hailed by the deputy prime minister as creating “another standout” for the Bahamian tourism product.

The duo will transform the now-closed Beach Towers into a 400-room property called Somewhere Else, which is set to open in January 2024 after undergoing extensive renovations. Tribune Business sought details on the level of investment involved, plus how many construction and full-time jobs will be created, and other specifics, but no replies were received before press time.

“Teaming up with David Grutman and Pharrell to further evolve the resort is an endeavour we are incredibly proud to be embarking upon this year,” said Audrey Oswell, Atlantis president and managing director, said in a statement.

“We can’t wait to share the Somewhere Else experience with new and returning guests, which will be amplified by the culture and warm Bahamian hospitality that can only be found at Atlantis, Paradise Island.”

“Somewhere Else is going to be a one-of-a-kind resort,” said Mr Grutman, founder of Groot Hospitality. “Not only will it offer a major extension of the unforgettable and high-energy experiences we deliver with Groot Hospitality, but also, a clear focus on nature and restorative elements.

“We’ll have something for everyone, yet Pharrell and I are making sure Somewhere Else is unlike anywhere else.” Messrs Williams and Grutman, who are already partners in Swan, a Miami-based restaurant, and The Goodtime Hotel, a Miami Beach-based boutique property, will retain 100 percent of the rights to the Somewhere Else name

Few specifics were provided on what a rebranded Beach Towers will ultimately look like, although restaurants and bungalows featuring recording studios were said to be part of the project. And Somewhere Else will be priced somewhere between the hotel market’s most affordable end and high-end luxury.

Shawn Sullivan, of global architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, is the lead designer on the project, and he was yesterday quoted in a CNN report as saying: “What we’ve done as an approach is to strip away a lot of bulk from the architecture.

“We’re opening up the structure to the landscape and to the sea. Warm-weather resorts also often have ample natural elements, but they’re usually very controlled. We’re excited to let nature pervade the space.”

The Somewhere Else tie-up marks somewhat of a change in strategy and direction for Atlantis given that this is the first time, since it opened in December 1994, where the part of the property that will be branded by a name that is not its own. Its Cable Beach mega resort rival, Baha Mar, is the one that to-date has adopted the strategy of having multiple resort brands.

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, hailed the Somewhere Else partnership as a sign of growing investor confidence in The Bahamas post-COVID and an affirmation of the tourism product’s strength.

“The redevelopment of what was the Beach Towers at Atlantis into a brand new property, Somewhere Else, further reaffirms the strength of The Bahamas’ tourism product viability, overall investor confidence and the commitment of the Government to support tourism stakeholders,” Mr Cooper said.

“This new boutique resort, inspired by world-renowned musician, Pharrell Williams’, artistic sensibilities and the well-established reputation of David Grutman for luxury and hospitality, will be another standout among Paradise Island’s many stellar offerings.

“The redeveloped resort is set to open in 2024 and will create more direct employment for hoteliers, entertainers and culinary professionals, and also serve as a critical business support for countless other persons who are indirectly employed in the hospitality industry,” he added.

“It is a signal to the world that The Bahamas is not only ‘open for business’ but remains the premier tourist destination in the region.”

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) union president, told Tribune Business that the Somewhere Else partnership was “definitely something to keep an eye on” from the union’s perspective.

He added that Atlantis management “reached out” to union executives to inform them of the plans before the announcement went public, although few hard details were provided. “They’re probably going to try and bring that [Miami] concept to spruce up the Beach Towers because the Beach Towers are old,” Mr Woods said of Messrs Williams and Grutman.

“That was where they made the 700 persons redundant last year because they were not prepared to open the Beach Towers the way it was. They didn’t want to keep those people on furlough, and had to do all the renovations anyway.

“If they’re able to get more people to come in and get business up, that should be a pretty good move. They didn’t say what staff complement will be needed, but based on the number of rooms they will have to bring the number of persons back if capacity returns.”