The Tribune

Hope Town Harbour Lodge has appointed veteran luxury hotelier Allen Davis as manager of the historic property that was purchased by a group of Bahamian investors in June 2012.

“We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Allen Davis, a man who, over a career that spans five decades, has had vast experience at high-end hotel and restaurant properties in the Bahamas, Europe, the Caribbean and the United States,” said Peter Andrews, Hope Town Harbour Lodge’s president.

“Allen has worked at hotels in Switzerland, France, British Virgin Islands, in the Bahamas and the US. While he jokes that he has been a bellman, busboy, waiter and more, the reality is that he has had a wide range of experiences, including management at five-star properties that prepared him to take the reins and oversee the renaissance of this little gem of a Family Island resort that consistently ranks No.1 in Hope Town on TripAdvisor.com.”

Mr Davis began his career at age 13 with a job in the Hotel du Palais, Biarritz, France, the former residence of Napoleon. Through hard work as a teen, he moved steadily up, accepting a job at the Cafe de Paris, then moving on to the five-star Palace Hotel in St. Moritz before spending seven years at Hyatt 4-diamond properties, including the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, also five-star, and the Park Hyatt in Chicago.

He held positions in Barbuda, on a private island in the British West Indies and in the Bahamas at three properties – the Lyford Cay Club, Cat Cay in the northern Bahamas, and at the Dunmore Beach in Harbour Island.

Mr Davis joins the 25-room Hope Town Harbour Lodge as it undergoes a common area renovation. Built originally as a retirement home for a British brigadier in 1947, and opened nearly 50 years ago as a three-room hotel, the lodge sits on a hill overlooking the famed Elbow Cay red and white striped lighthouse and the Sea of Abaco.

Often referred to as an inn for its intimate feel despite its broad lawns, and a popular choice for weddings, honeymoons and community events, Hope Town Harbour Lodge has consistently ranked best in places to stay on Elbow Cay. Frommers recently credited it for its food, noting “this hotel’s dining options are still winning new friends”.

Mr Davis’ appointment is effective immediately.