The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE new 305-room hotel under construction at Resorts World Bimini is expected to have a soft opening next month, with a full opening forecast for nearer the end of the year or early in 2016.

Patrick Fortemps, food and beverage manager at Resorts World, said with the hotel opening in north Bimini, as well as the ferry service from Miami and the island’s 240 boat slips, they are anticipating between 1,000 to 2,000 visitors on weekends.

“There will be a waiting list to come to Bimini; that is what we are anticipating,” he said.

Mr Fortemps and a team of employees in the food and beverage department were in Grand Bahama yesterday to tour the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company on Queens Highway.

He said they are looking to partner with the brewery to feature its beer products at the resort. The group was given a tour and lecture on the beer-making process, the bottling and packaging. The facility produces a line of beers, stout and malt, brewed with German engineering.

“The brewery is an up and coming Bahamian business and we want to partner with them... and feature their beers and products at the resort,” Mr Fortemps said.

Resorts World Bimini is one of the premier resorts in The Bahamas. The Genting Group, a Malaysian company, is the developer.

Mr Fortemps said the resort provides employment for many local residents of Bimini and hundreds of Bahamians from the other islands. “We have 350 to 400 workers, maybe even more. Right now, we also have 600 workers that come from different areas to build the hotel, in addition to the people from The Bahamas,” he said, reporting that some 2,400 meals are prepared daily just to feed their employees.

“I have worked in New York, Paris, Monte Carlo and this is one of the most exciting projects I have ever seen; the Genting Group … has the vision, tenacity, and the funds to make this happen.”

Genting has invested $40-50m to build a pier to accommodate the 33,000-ton vessel that sails to the island three times a week from Miami.

Mr Fortemps said Resorts World will have conference rooms and suites to target high-end corporate and private groups, and host weddings.

“It will be a real draw, especially being 50 miles from Miami.”

Mr Fortemps said the resort is partnering with the government to transform the island.

“We just repaved the entire road through North Bimini, we started a project to clean the beaches and we gave the local inhabitants paint to paint exterior of their buildings for the beautification of the island.”

He responded to questions about employee relations by saying they were wonderful. “We have an employee of the year and a manager of the year – we have a very strong human resources team and we are always doing events to recognise our employees. We have movie night and other events. We are nothing without the employees,” he said.

While concerns have been raised by environmentalists concerning the dive sites and the marine environment at Bimini, Mr Fortemps said: “I think we will come to a mutual understanding. People will come and they will provide employment for everyone to have a good future on the island. So I think there will be a balance between ecology and economic development.”