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Baha Mar cancels August bookings

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE assurances by Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian that the $3.5bn luxury mega-resort would officially open soon, several pre-booked guests have claimed they were told that all reservations until August 31 have been cancelled.

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

Meanwhile, Robert “Sandy” Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs, could not confirm an opening date for the resort. He said this was still being discussed with Baha Mar advisors.

He spoke to The Tribune following a meeting with Prime Minister Perry Christie and Mr Izmirlian yesterday to discuss issues surrounding Baha Mar’s repeated delays, a source confirmed.

“We are having ongoing discussions with advisors and we have not announced the date of the grand opening,” Mr Sands told The Tribune yesterday. “We have not set a date yet and we are dealing with each guest individually in terms of meeting their individual needs.”

The Tribune visited Baha Mar’s website to find the earliest available date for booking accommodations was September 8. 

On another travel booking website, Expedia, only one hotel brand, the Rosewood at Baha Mar, was available at the earliest in June. The other brands, the Grant Hyatt, the SLS Lux and Baha Mar’s Casino and Hotel, showed a “sold out” status for July through to the month of August. There was no advisory on Expedia to warn potential visitors of Baha Mar’s opening delays.

Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday his ministry had taken note of the “negative press” the delayed opening has sparked. He said it was important to have damage control in place with a view to counteracting any potential fallout.

However, he admitted that much of the speculation over the resort’s success is based on the inability of officials to pin down an opening date and actually meet the timeline.

“We have noticed the comments on the internet,” Mr Wilchcome said. “And it is unfortunate that such a huge project continues to get negative press because it really does not help the situation. Mr Izmirlian has just returned from meeting with officials in China and the Chinese construction company. We are hoping that they were able to arrive at some kind of resolution.”

Mr Wilchcombe said while the work was continuing, he stressed that there was a need for a clearer timeline.

Guests have their say

The lack of a timeline and poor communication has elicited fierce criticism from scores of potential tourists who said they planned months ahead for their vacations.

One TripAdvisor user “Beachbum878” said it was their intention to visit the resort for Mother’s Day. However they were never notified that Baha Mar would not meet its opening date.

“So extremely disappointed. Booked four nights at the Baha Mar Grand Hyatt from May 10-14 for Mother’s Day and our daughter’s first birthday. Never received the ‘mass email’ that was sent out and called to request a crib in our room to find out the hotel was not going to be open!” the user wrote.

“I then spent nearly two hours on the phone with Baha Mar and Travelocity trying to rectify the matter. Baha Mar was not helpful and insisted there was nothing they could do and I needed to contact Travelocity as the room was booked with them.

“The only compensation I was offered was to stay at a dated hotel with free food (all inclusive). I am sorry but I did not book this vacation to eat until my heart is content and have lower grade amenities at a resort not compatible with the Grand Hyatt. After inquiring about the Reef or Cove, I was told we would needed to pay an additional $1,000!!

“It should be noted, we are travelling with our infant and chose the Baha Mar as it’s brand new and want a clean and new environment for our little one who is toddling around, not a dated hotel room.”

The user went on to lash out at officials for having a “double standard” in offering accommodations to guests.

“There should not be a double standard allowed, offering some guests to stay at the Cove and newer hotels, also offering them to come back complimentary once the Baha Mar is open and then offering other guests lower grade hotels or telling them they need to pay more money!

“The matter has yet to be rectified as I spent an hour and fifty minutes on the phone with Travelocity and was placed on hold for the latter 35 minutes, resulting in me disconnecting. Baha Mar, you have truly brought disappointment.”

Another user, Allyson H, said she and her family were very disappointed about the setback. She posted that they were advised on April 20 that all reservations would be cancelled to August 31, 2015.

She said: “I actually feel badly for the management and staff at the Baha Mar. Those employees have families to feed, so I’m sure they are dying to get busy working.

“We had reservations for July 2015, but was told by management today that they are indeed cancelling all reservations through August 31, 2015. Yes, we are very disappointed, to say the least. There is nothing comparable on the island – including the Atlantis. We will plan our vacation elsewhere and hopefully make it back to the Grand Hyatt next year. I wish them the best. Obviously, they didn’t plan this huge setback and major headache.”

Another user posted that he was having a hard time understanding why Baha Mar would accept reservations if there was uncertainty surrounding the opening.

“I booked two nights at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar for June 2015 back in January. At that time, the opening date for the hotel was advertised for March, so I figured that there wouldn’t be any problems for a June reservation.

“Well, I was wrong. I received an email from Hyatt saying that they wouldn’t be able to honour the reservation because the hotel wouldn’t be open in time. I was given the option to reschedule with Hyatt paying for my flight change fees, stay at Atlantis (although apparently there weren’t any rooms available the weekend I was originally scheduled to go), or cancel altogether with my flights reimbursed and 20K Hyatt points per night as compensation.”

He added: “I ended up cancelling, but I still don’t understand why they would accept reservations if they knew they wouldn’t be able to honour them. I have to say that if I decide to go on vacation to the Bahamas, the Grand Hyatt is definitely not one of the places I’ll be looking at. If they can’t get a hotel to open on time, I have my doubts about their ability to actually run the place.”

Delayed openings

Baha Mar was initially expected to open last December but that date was delayed.

In January, the resort said it would open its doors to paying customers on March 27. Three days before that date, hotel officials announced that the opening had been delayed again to early May due to ongoing construction work. 

In a statement, Baha Mar also criticised the performance of the lead contractor, revealing that work at the property had not met “standards of excellence” and was not acceptable.

Baha Mar added that it had relied on statements from its construction manager and lead contractor when it previously announced a March 27 opening date.

The government has long touted Baha Mar’s opening as a key component of the country’s economic rebound. The resort is expected to create 5,000 permanent jobs.

Comments

duppyVAT 9 years, 7 months ago

The white elephant has snorted ........................ again

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 7 months ago

I'm starting to wonder if they will ever open. I hope they will, but I'm thinking if you have a set of work to complete, and having been in construction for years, you should be able to estimate a reasonable completion date. But if on the other hand you've experienced problems due to poor construction, you have no idea what will pop up next..it would be very hard to put a date on remediation. Could the construction be that bad? Have you ever had a tailor screw up really nice fabric but you didn't notice the problem until you tried to put the outfit on?

Honestman 9 years, 7 months ago

Looks like we are looking at a Christmas Grand Opening. Better to get it right though.

duppyVAT 9 years, 7 months ago

Get what right???????? The hotel brands??????, the PR?????? the Chinese money & labour deal????? the unions???? the airlift?????? The trained Bahamian staff??????????WHAT????????????

There is just too much there to have much faith in the future of this as far as Izzy is concerned. This facility will eventually be given over to the Chinese financiers ............... whether we like it or not.

Honestman 9 years, 7 months ago

The project will survive but BahaMar may be forced to sell out, I agree. BahaMar's cash flow must be under severe strain because of the delay. It has been a bit of a management disaster when all is said and done.

killemwitdakno 9 years, 7 months ago

Been at it from 2006, I'd say he's in it for it's good years for sure.

DillyTree 9 years, 7 months ago

The fiasco continues....

Here's an idea -- plan for a Thanksgiving/Christmas opening, just as it was for last year's supposed opening. Maybe no one will notice it was a year late!

rwarner1 9 years, 7 months ago

I just spoke with Hyatt reservations and they assured me they would be open on August 1st..

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 7 months ago

It's unfortunate that Mr. Z failed to judge the extent of the coziness of Christie and his Chinese friends. But whether Mr. Z hangs in there, or the Chinese take it all over, the outcome dictated by the following simple equation will remain unchanged: BAHA MAR + PERRY "VOMIT" CHRISTIE = COLOSSAL FAILURE FOR BAHAMAS!

Cornel 9 years, 7 months ago

I just don't understand everyone here. Baha Mar said that they would be open at the beginning of December. And, it looks like they will be open at the beginning of December.

What's a years difference. It was probably a typo in the original announcement anyways. 2014? 2015 ? It's all the same

tyrakd 9 years, 7 months ago

Hilarious ! lol.. Love the sarcasm.

Voltaire 9 years, 7 months ago

@Cornel – any delay is a bad delay when you owe your financier 3 billion or whatever it is. Imagine what Sarkis dem paying just to finance the loan. The delay, and the withholding of the road money by gubment is a calculated effort to push Sarkis out, so the Chinese get to run another hotel. Notice that Perry sold them the Hilton, breaking with the 50 year tradition established by Sir Lynden that no foreign government could own Bahamian soil, save for its own embassy. Notice that The US gubment forced Perry dem to give the BEC contract to an American firm, despite Chinese interest. How you think Perry ga pay them for their lost electricity deal? How about a mega resort.....

TruthHurts 9 years, 7 months ago

Ahhhhh...you have a point!

Publius 9 years, 7 months ago

I think Cornel was being sarcastic? I hope?

killemwitdakno 9 years, 7 months ago

Could be US competition vs Chinese Import Export Bank.

maybe Donald Trumph wants in since he pulled out of Atlantic City. Harrah's reinvested in Baha Mar just last year. Thought the Chinese had it covered.

Or maybe the workers are taking their sweet time like China did with their checks.

TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago

The late oil billionaire Paul Getty once observed, “If you owe the bank $100 that’s your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem."
But if you're the Comrade "Baha Mar CEO" Sarkis Izmirlia, you have wake-up every morning wondering aloud if this could be the day when your Chinese money backers, activate their 3.5 billion dollars pullback? Judge what it must be like waking up to a mega resort completely empty of paying guests and your money backers may not like you remaining in the picture?

GrassRoot 9 years, 7 months ago

I am not sure I can follow this thread. This is neither PGC nor an issue of Sarkis, this is an issue for the Bahamian people. 1st: no jobs/delayed jobs. 2nd: loss of VAT. 3rd: loss of goodwill with Airlines. 4th: I don't think the Chinese should be an option in this game, you simply don't want to have the Chinese as your last friend. I am surprised that PGC does not do everything and anything possible to keep Sarkis' head above water.

killemwitdakno 9 years, 7 months ago

I'm rooting for the local! He has Bahamian interest , there's unmistakeable Bahamian touch to this place. It's him who saved the entire project from sinking. Wallstreet is gonna say what they want. Come correct.

Yeh baby, Atlantic city it's on (been there, cheap interior design).

https://vimeo.com/92199698

SP 9 years, 7 months ago

...................... Thank GOD Bahamians Were Shut Out Of This Project ....................

Under the exact same circumstances causing this ongoing delayed opening, Imagine the fallout, bashings and immeasurable amounts of bad mouthing from "EVERYONE" if Baha Mar were being constructed by Bahamians!

Tribune, Guardian and certain expat elements would have use it as "undeniable proof" that Bahamians are a worthless, good for nothing nationality of people and demand foreigners brought in to fill every employment position in the country.

The Chinese contractors were said to be experts in mega projects but are way behind schedule facing mounting claims of using inferior materiel, shoddy craftsmanship resulting in massive amounts of do-overs leading to no opening date in site.

Yet with all the delays and supposed secret problems NOT ONE PEEP OR COMPLAINT OUT OF TRIBUNE, GUARDIAN, EASTERN ROAD GENIUSES AND SMARTASS EXPATS??

Secondly, only an ignoramus, dumb idiot would believe Baha Mar development cost $3.5bn!

John 9 years, 7 months ago

Is there other problems we don't know about? Financial or did more of the brands pull out? Or maybe the project was so large it is taking more resources than was projected. Time and money. Now when the project does open it would have that "negative market image" to fight off

Greentea 9 years, 7 months ago

So all of the people they hired for the old opening date. The same ones I heard left their jobs without notice - are they being paid while they wait? I am curious.

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