The Bahamas is rolling out a full slate of fresh tourism offerings, from major resort renovations and openings to new airlift and cruise calls.
Two heavy-hitters have signed on at the Baha Mar Resort. The Morgans Hotel Group will operate and manage the planned 300-room luxury hotel at the new Baha Mar Resort currently in development on Nassau's Cable Beach. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will manage and operate the resortís planned 200-room luxury hotel. When completed, the 1,000-acre destination resort complex will have 3,500 rooms, a 100,000-square-foot casino, three spas and an 18-hole championship Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. It's scheduled to open its doors to guests in 2013.
The One&Only Ocean Club has completed a six-month renovation that began in June 2010. All 10 beachfront suites and 40 beachfront guestrooms in the property's Crescent Wing have received new bedding, artwork, case goods and the latest in cutting-edge technology including Jacuzzi bathtubs with televisions.
The Bimini Big Game Club recently celebrated a re-opening as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort property in Alice Town, North Bimini. Renovations include updated guestrooms, the new Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill, marina, pool bar and patio, and the Outfitter Shop, a retail outlet featuring Guy Harvey sportswear and gifts. The resort also introduced Neal Watsonís Dive Bimini, a Guy Harvey Outpost Dive Center, featuring a 60-foot glass bottom dive boat.
Plans to revive Walker's Cay fishing and diving resort in the the Abaco Islands have been approved by The Bahamas Investment Authority. The resort has been closed since 2004. Initial plans include the development of two hotels with 100 rooms, a five-diamond resort spa and 18 half-acre beachfront properties. There will also be 60,000 square feet of retail boardwalk, a yacht club featuring alfresco dining and a 2,800-foot runway capable of accommodating twin-engine planes.
Atlantis on Paradise Island recently opened its Crush teen club, an $11 million cutting-edge venue with an interactive Internet lounge, a floor-to-ceiling gaming tower with 24 gaming consoles and multi-touch computers and surface tables with photo editing and publishing software that interfaces with Facebook. Atlantis Kids Adventures has also opened. The 8,000-square-foot club for 3- to 12-year-olds has a culinary center for cooking classes, an iMac computer lab, an amplified performance stage and the Lego Atlantis Fantasy Camp, where children have a chance to work side-by-side with a Lego Master Builder in group building events. The resort has also introduced the Atlantis Stingray Experience, which allows hands-on encounters with hundreds of stingrays.
Pelican Bay at Lucaya, recently completed work on the Canal House, a 40,000-square-feet meeting and conference space. The new facility has a restaurant, salon and four separate meeting rooms with the flexibility to combine any two rooms into one. The Canal House will cater to small meetings, conferences and weddings and offer all-inclusive half- and full-day meeting rates.
Work on the five-room East End Lodge has commenced with plans to include a nature trail and lodge room with a dining room, bar and other amenities. The lodge is in McLean's Town on the East End of Grand Bahama Island and is expected to be fully open by March. Operators are hoping to draw bonefishing enthusiasts to East End Lodge, since the region is known for having excellent bonefishing guides.
Last November, American Airlines began offering daily nonstop jet service from Miami to George Town, Great Exuma (GGT) as well as additional jet service on Fridays and Saturdays. November also saw American Eagle Airlines resuming daily, nonstop, seasonal service between Miami and Treasure Cay, Abaco (TCB). The carrier will run one Miami-Treasure Cay flight per day on a 64-seat aircraft.
Last Month, Allure of the Seas sailed into Nassau for the first time. The ship will continue to call on Nassau year round as part of her seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.
The Details
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
