The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE 25-room Hope Town Harbour Lodge is reporting a “very full house” for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and solid advanced bookings for the next several months, one of its owners telling Tribune Business: “I think our expectations are being fulfilled”.

Bahamas Boutique Hotel Group chairman, Peter Andrews, said: “We’ve just completed a fairly significant facelift for the hotel.

“We have done a lobby expansion and improvement, and we’ve worked on the facade, both the front and the back.

“We have a few more steps to have it completed, but that will be done 
before Thanksgiving, when we hope to have a very full house.” Mr Andrews 
estimated that the resort has been running around 50 per cent occupancy levels.

While the group, which acquired the historic 25-room property in June 2012, has revealed plans to invest in several more boutique-type hotels over the next few years, the success of the Hope Town venture will ultimately serve as the catalyst for this.

Hope Town Harbour Lodge recently appointed veteran luxury hotelier, Allen Davis, as manager of the historic property.

“We’re excited about the new manager and we’re excited about the New Year. We have a lot of activities planned. There is a lot of activity and we’re going to keep plugging away,” said Mr Andrews.

“We have good advanced bookings for the next several months. We’re looking forward to the new seaplane service to Hope Town ,and we’re looking forward to the opening of the Marsh Harbour Airport.

“We’re optimistic. I think our expectations are being fulfilled, but it will take some time to see.

“I would like to see it 100 per cent full 100 per cent of the time, but we have come through a very slow period in the Bahamas and in the Out Islands, in particular, everything slows down around September and October.”