Baha Mar occupancy numbers ‘kind of low’

As of Thursday, November 2, 2017

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar (pictured) said yesterday he is “anxious” to see if Baha Mar can “grow occupancy numbers” without cannibalising other local hotels.

In an interview with The Tribune outside the House of Assembly, Mr D’Aguilar said he is unsure Baha Mar will be able to make its November 4 deadline for the opening of the SLS Lux Hotel.

“People are telling me that they are not making the deadline that is in four days and it is now the 14th instead,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

“I am anxious to see if they can grow their occupancy numbers without cannibalising existing local hotels, that is important. You do not want them to take customers from other hotels and just shift it around, that doesn’t help the destination at all. So it is very important and we have informed them that they need to seek out new markets and new customers in order to grow the destination.” Mr D’Aguilar also revealed Baha Mar’s current occupancy numbers are “kind of low” but said the resort is about to “unleash a marketing campaign” in preparation for Christmas that will hopefully boost numbers.

Baha Mar’s SLS Lux and Rosewood properties are due to open this month and March/April 2018, respectively. Graeme Davis, the destination resort’s president, told the media during a July tour of the property the project was “on target” to obtain its full occupancy certificate.

Yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar said he is unsure of the resort has received its full occupancy certificate to date.

Baha Mar received its first phase temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) back in March, allowing visitors to occupy rooms and use other resort amenities.

The TCO gives Chow Tai Fook Enterprises “full rights” to use all Baha Mar amenities included in the first phase soft opening, including the convention centre, casino and casino hotel, but it remains “on the hook” for any unsafe, non-Code compliant items that need to be addressed.

Apart from the Grand Hyatt’s 1,800 rooms, the convention centre, golf course and casino, Baha Mar’s tennis club, pool and beach areas, and some restaurant and retail outlets are all open.

proudloudandfnm 7 years, 1 month ago

Freeport hotels closed. Resort World downsizing. Bahamar can't get off the ground.

For a country who's main industry is tourism the future is not looking good at all...

The world is in a spurt of global economic growth but we're not in the game.

Something is very wrong. And I suspect the issue is us. Our country has been spoiled, we haven't had to compete as hard others thanks to geography. Well the world is much smaller now our geographical advantage is no longer enough. Now we need to compete. But a year after hurricane Matthew Freeport's main hotels and casino are still closed. So obviously our mentality has not changed. Just as apathetic and complacent as ever. I think the Bahamas is in for a very long, very bumpy ride...

B_I_D___ 7 years, 1 month ago

Cuba is/was booming before the hurricane...

birdiestrachan 7 years, 1 month ago

This man will never see any good in Bah Mar, because he is no longer spokesman for the property and his former boss man is no longer the owner. He collects the tax payers money as the minister of tourism What is he doing about the low tourist rate?

truetruebahamian 7 years, 1 month ago

Birdie, some want to know whether you are some strange abberant being that enjoys being greased and having rear end jobs by the "progressive liberal party" or just a rectum wishing for that to be.

BONEFISH 7 years, 1 month ago

As Baha Mar struggles to increase it's occupancy rates, other countries in the Caribbean are expanding their hotel rooms. Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are all experiencing ggrowth in their stop-over arrivals. Every other country in the Caribbean is now in tourism.The Bahamas is no longer the only game in town.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago

Who will come to stay at Bahamar????? ........ What will be the niche attractions at Bahamar???????? How much opportunities will be available for Bahamian small business entrepreneurs at Bahamar????????? What will be the average room rate at Bahamar?????? ........ What will be the Govt. concessions to Treasury revenue ratio for Bahamar????? ............... That is what I want to hear from DD and this CTFE (white) spokesman.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

It's actually a very beautiful property. If I were having a convention, it's a place I would love to be staying at. If they get their entertainment right it could be THE convention centre for the Caribbean

I'm not sure if it makes sense, but if I were them, I'd try selling the benefits of the property to Bahamians. Organize walking tours at scheduled times on the weekend to show the public what they'll be offering to the world. End the tour with food and some entertainment. Ticketed with limits. Don't know if that's possible...

TorontoGal 7 years, 1 month ago

ThisisOurs, your idea is a great one and I hope someone will run with it. In the meantime get the island cleaned up...trash was everywhere in the spring of 2017...the worst areas were right around the airport and downtown. Also, get the murder count under control. Many people are put off by such a large number of people being shot. It doesn't matter that those being shot are mostly young locals. Something like this is a turn-off to tourists...and residents alike. People need to be proud of their country and take back what it had in its glory days.

BaronInvest 7 years, 1 month ago

Actually a lot of growth comes from letting foreigners into your country. Since you guys are doing the opposite your economy also does the opposite - it's quite simple. Personally I tried to live in the Bahamas, bringing an investment group and a lot of money. As I was not welcome we just moved on and created jobs elsewhere. It's like someone earlier mentioned - you are competing with other countries and apparently you don't seem to realize that.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

It's a two way street I think, Bahamians in general don't feel the impact when investors like yourself come in. It's like there's a filter at the top and the majority of the money is siphoned off by the lawyers and accountants and sent do not stop at Go to Switzerland, and not all lawyers, just a select corrupt greedy crew. Not all of it "over" the table either. There's no way on Gods green earth with all the money that comes into this country that it should have the challenges it has.

Of course the people you employ feel the direct impact and that's good, but it stops there. And yeah I understand that they buy goods and services but that's subtle. That's why you get the upset from the general public, because they don't feel it. They don't see any change in their circumstances. They don't see any change in the environment. Our corrupt politicians have no idea what they've done over the past forty years to choke our country. They get rich from their dealing and they forget the people. And it continues even after .may 10.

It's the reason why I suggested Bahamar market to the Bahamian public, the idea isn't to sell it to them as "customers", but showcase the experience and what it could do for the country, gaining buy-in and making them feel a part of it. Could help both sides if the investors felt the public supported them. Personally I know how I felt about it before and after I had a walk through.

Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago

I was in Bahamas recently and honestly 90% (probably more) were Bahamians. If Bahamians didn't go to the bars and restaurants then Bahamar would sadly be a ghost town.

Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago

Above should have read "I was in Bahamar recently..."

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

Yeah, same as I saw, but that's not my vision. My vision is that place booked out every month for conferences with thousands of visitors coming for specific events. They have the facilities to achieve it. The entertainment has to be grand and should have a heavy cultural element

sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago

Conventions are on-site activities based on pre-planned bookings - how do conventions help the typical Bahamian businessman in Pinewood, Bain Town or Adelaide, when the delegates land at the airport, catch a tour bus to Bahamar and stay on-site for the 2-4 days of closed sessions???????? Please help explain how Bahamar will grow the Bahamian economy beyond these low-tier hospitality jobs???????

BaronInvest 7 years, 1 month ago

What pissed me off most is that you can not get anything done in the Bahamas without paying the bribes. You want temporary residency ? Pay and get it in 2 weeks delivered to your house. Don't pay and a year later you still don't have it. Permanent residency is the same thing just more expensive as you have to pay some politicians who cost more than the average immigration officer. My company developes games for xbox and pc, we are partners of Valve, Microsoft and Sony - backed up with millions for each project that comes to live. I offered recruiting Bahamians and building up a school/academy for game and software development that's securely funded by our company and partners - so we could recruit staff directly and also make the Bahamas a destination for software development. All I wanted in return is getting my residency and permits to do so. I simply gave up after 2 years - all I got was people who are working in the government asking for money - and once you paid one the next one came along... End of story is we sold all properties and moved our HQ back to Spain where we proceed building the academy. And rather than asking for money people in the government who got aware of the project are asking if they can bring in their kids.

Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago

So sad to hear this. But as a Bahamian I know the struggles you and us Bahamians go through with greedy politicians and senior civil servants. Many ideas and projects have gone by the wayside because of constant payoffs or 'my cousin can manage that for you' or 'my uncle must be your partner'. We have been in a VERY sad state of affairs for a long, long time. I really wish I could say 'come back and try again - it's different now', but unfortunately we are not there yet. Please keep us in your thoughts though because soon we will get our shit together (finger's crossed). Good luck with Catalan - I really hope that it doesn't turn violent. I am VERY impressed with the peaceful protests so far.

jus2cents 7 years, 1 month ago

Try applying again, this new government is a little more progressive and may be less corrupt.

Clamshell 7 years, 1 month ago

Sadly typical. Too many Bahamians in power would rather grab a dollar today than earn $10 down the road.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

You're joking!!!! This confirms what I always suspected. I never believed that the barrier to getting into programming (or any other upwardly mobile industry) was so difficult that you could not have hundreds even thousands of Bahamians involved and doing well. My belief is that there is a deliberate strategy to keep Bahamians dumb and out of anything that could be lucrative. Its almost as if they look at you and say, they still using outdoor toilets, ok thats what they been using all along, they don't need much else. Give them a beer, keep them happy and lets get control of this before anyone else gets to it. A certain segment wants to keep that industry to themselves and their families and they want the opportunity to continue to tax the foreign firms that enter the country.

And for the FNM's please know, this govt is no different. Ive heard stories of taxing companies already. Its the People "Over There" Time.

Anyway please come back:)

turtle777 7 years, 1 month ago

I agree with one writer that Baha Mar needs to attract local, Bahamian guests first.

I lived on South Beach for forty-one years. I saw countless restaurants and hotels open with splashy marketing built around some famous sports star who was going to live their, or invest, or something. (In reality the sports star was given a condo for free, as long as he or she showed up at multiple opening parties. In reality, the sports stars wouldn't be caught dead living there.)

They were very (sometimes wildy) popular on Friday nights, but soon enough stood empty Sunday through Thursday.

They learned the hard way you must build your business around local sustainable trade, to at least break even and pay the bills. Then, and only then invest in heavy "star lives here" marketing to catch and keep the high end, movie star crowd.

I would say ninety percent never learned that lesson, and failed.

Sad, but lessons must be learned.

Tom Rickards

Clamshell 7 years, 1 month ago

Marketing campaign for Christmas? Do we have a Minister of Tourism who is so disconnected that he does not realize that anybody traveling abroad from North America or Europe for Christmas already has made their plans and reservations? Are all our ministers this dense about the portfolios they control?

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

Yes. Sadly Desmond Bannister and Dwayne Sands are our only Obi Wan Kenobi's. "Save us Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope". The others are ill prepared and lost, most of all KP Turnquest. And I don't say that as a dig at him, he's good at "something", but he's not the best we could find to fill the Min Of Finance role, and we are dying, we need Obi Wan Kenobi

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