The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia

A HOTEL brand set to operate at Baha Mar when the resort opens following numerous delays has advised its guests that they are set to open within three months.

According to the Grand Hyatt’s certified Twitter account – Hyatt Concierge – all “reservations after September 9, 2015, will be honoured, as the resort is set to open on that day.”

A hotel representative later told The Tribune: “At this time the hotel is set to open September 9. Keep in mind that this could be subject to change as there has been delays with the opening date previously.”

When contacted yesterday, Robert “Sandy” Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice president of external and government affairs, said he was not aware of an official opening date for the resort.

Construction at the West Bay Street property has come to a standstill due to a dispute with the developer and the resort’s main contractor, China Construction America (CCA).

On Monday, a government source confirmed to The Tribune that the Christie administration is set to pay Baha Mar $21m.

This money, which is owed to Baha Mar to cover the government’s portion of costs for roadwork associated with the development, will assist Baha Mar in its stalled operations and help pay the thousands of Bahamians currently on the resort’s payroll, The Tribune was told.

Half of the $21m will be paid on July 1 and the remainder in “mid July,” the well-placed source said.

This week, Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis later said that a possible deal was in the works.

Mr Davis, who is also the minister of works, said the dispute over how much the government still owes Baha Mar for the reconfiguration of West Bay Street is out of his hands and has been transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister.

In May, several pre-booked guests claimed they were told that all reservations until August 31 had been cancelled.

They criticised hotel management on a leading travel review website, TripAdvisor, for ruining their vacations. The guests also claimed they were offered unsatisfactory alternative accommodations and not compensated enough for their losses.

When The Tribune visited Baha Mar’s website at the time, the earliest available date for booking accommodations was September 8.

While it is unclear when Baha Mar will officially open, FNM Senator Lanisha Rolle yesterday urged the government to apologise to the hundreds of Bahamians whose lives have been put on hold as a result of the numerous delays.

She said: “Do not buy the stories of the Baha Mar delay. In my opinion the opening is delayed as a result of inaction either directly or indirectly on the part of the government and the Bahamian people are owed an apology.”

The Christie administration has already paid Baha Mar $28m over the past two years for its share of the re-routed West Bay Street costs.

Under an agreement with the previous Ingraham administration, the government agreed it would pay $48.1m to Baha Mar if the cost to reconfigure West Bay Street exceeded $70m. The government and Baha Mar have been unable to agree on how much money was still owed to Baha Mar since 2013.

Baha Mar was initially expected to open in December 2014.