The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

GRAYCLIFF has now inked three deals for the expansion of its retail and airport lounge concept, its president Paolo Garzaroli told Tribune Business yesterday.

“We have now inked deals in Bermuda, Cincinnati and Orlando, and we’re negotiating with several other airports to expand that part of our business,” he said.

Assessing the performance of Graycliff’s $2 million lounge at the Lynden Pindling International Airport’s US departures terminal, Mr Garzaroli said: “It’s been doing OK. The way the traffic flows, and with the construction, it’s been a little bit of a challenge.

“We expect now with phase II done, when they open up the other gates the actual traffic flow will be a lot better for us. Due to the fact that we are kind of like at the very end of one side, we have kind of been left, but the whole airport and that whole experience for us is a very large part of what we are going to be doing.”

Graycliff’s airport lounges began with sites in Nassau and Nashville.

Speaking on Graycliff’s hotel performance, Mr Gazaroli said: “The hotel part is sort of the smallest element to our business. We are more of a businessman’s hotel. It’s the anti-Paradise Island, big hotel kind of environment, and really for people to get away from it all.

“It’s sort of our little hidden secret. We don’t actively go and promote the hotel, it’s all about what we do here at Graycliff. Some months we are sold out and some months we run 20-40 per cent. It varies based on the time of the year. When there is a hurricane we are sold out.”

Mr Gazaroli said phase III of the Heritage Village project calls for the expansion of the hotel component.

“Phase three to Heritage Village is kind of to create an annex tower to add between 50-75 rooms, but I think I want to do the whole project and then kind of work that element. The hotel really is a secondary part of our business,” said Mr Garzaroli.