Baha Mar reopens

The golden doors of the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar swung open for the first set of guests yesterday just before 11 a.m. as the megaresort welcomed visitors for the first time in nine months after being forced shut by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visitors were greeted by a waterfall just outside the hotel’s lobby as they drove up, and the warm smiles of front desk agents as Christmas music and the sounds of slot machines from the world-class casino rang in the distance.

Baha Mar President Graeme Davis said 80 rooms were booked for day one with 160 guests expected to walk through the hotel’s doors to begin their vacation getaway in paradise at the resort.

“It’s going to ramp up quickly throughout the holiday season, starting this weekend,” Davis said.

“It will be slow but it allows, certainly, a tremendous amount of space based on this occupancy for physical distancing, I think, for a beyond exceptional experience when we have over 1,800 associates taking care of our guests who are here. And we have some guests staying for longer than a week, who are here for a long stay. That’s fantastic. What better place to come when it is two to three feet of snow in the northeast than to come down here to The Bahamas for an exceptional experience at Baha Mar.”

The Grand Hyatt and Casino, as well as some restaurants and the Royal Blue Tavern Golf Club, were a part of phase one of the resort’s reopening.

Davis said the reopening reminded him of when the resort first opened its doors in April of 2017 with the Grand Hyatt.

“We are excited to open today,” he said.

“It’s a slow start, but it certainly is a significant start to certainly be able to create that consumer confidence in our key markets for building up the momentum for business here in the first quarter of 2021. And certainly, for our local community, an exciting opportunity for them as well to come and stay with us.”

Aside from the travel health visa, which includes proof of testing negative for COVID-19, guests must take a rapid antigen test upon arrival at the resort, which would give them free rein to the property once their result is negative.

Eighteen hundred employees returned for phase one of the resort’s reopening and will be tested weekly.

After paying out over $75 million in ex-gratia payments for employees, as well as insurance and other benefits, Davis said the resort is looking at a way to continue it beyond 2020.

“We’re looking forward and studying the idea of supporting our associates beyond the end of 2020 with additional ex-gratia payments,” Davis said.

“We’re considering that now for the beginning of 2021. We certainly know that the NIB benefits are starting to dwindle and we want to continue, as we have, again a commitment of over $70 million that we paid already, we certainly want to ensure that we do our part to support our associates in the community going forward.”

He said as the resort looks to make a decision in early 2021 on when the SLS and Rosewood will reopen, Davis said more employees will be brought back on.

But as major resorts like Baha Mar and Atlantis commence their reopening, there is a concern regarding airlift and the amount of international flights coming in and out of The Bahamas.

Last week, Atlantis President Audrey Oswell said the issue of international flights has been a major setback for the resort with potential visitors expressing a need for more flight options.

Davis yesterday said it is a concern of his as well.

“The airlines have made a commitment that as they see more demand, they will add more airlift,” he said.

“They certainly have excess capacity. There are plenty of planes standing by and they can react quickly. What they’re doing is they’re putting in their winter schedule now and as they get closer in if they get there and the demand is not there then they are cutting some flights. So, the flights are there for the future. It’s a matter of whether or not they keep them and the demand continues to grow and I’m confident that it will.

“Would I like to see more airlift, absolutely. I’d like to see British Airways get up and running here as quickly as possible because from the U.K. you cannot get access through the United States to get to The Bahamas. So, to have a direct flight from the U.K. to The Bahamas would be fantastic. And we hope that British Airways would come here. We know that they’re considering late January or February. We’d like to see more airlift started sooner rather than later.”

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