By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday questioned the effort being given to revive the international perception of Baha Mar subsequent to the resort’s bankruptcy ordeal.

Highlighting what he labelled as “productive public debate” over the $3.5bn Cable Beach resort, the former foreign affairs and immigration minister insisted that the responsible mode of operation would be to work simultaneously on opening the stalled resort while rebuilding its tarnished reputation.

Mr Symonette said the postponement of a Supreme Court hearing of the government’s winding up petition against Baha Mar from November 2 to November 25 ended all hope for a 2016 opening.

He said that any hope of Baha Mar aiding the government’s “heads in beds” tourism strategy has to now be put off until mid-2017.

“How do you expect any competent travel agent or a tourist official to sell the Baha Mar product after all it has been through over the past year?”

“It’s one thing to get it open, but while you are working to do that you have to work to rebuild the brand of that project. You have to get persons to want to come here and be those heads in beds.”

“There has to be more of a focus given to marketing that resort now – not later, now.”

According to the former Montagu MP, the turmoil surrounding the project’s delayed opening and subsequent bankruptcy filing has quelled the excitement of potential visitors.

“No one has confidence in the Baha Mar name,” Mr Symonette added. “It is extremely hard to get persons to want to come there. You have to convince persons to come, get them to see the cold water running in the toilet and hot water in the basin; and all that has to happen before that resort can think about making a profit.”

Mr Symonette suggested that once the resort is completed officials might have to consider giving the rooms away for free to reconstruct the image of the resort.

Baha Mar filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court on June 29, blaming its general contractor China Construction America (CCA) Bahamas for its opening delays. The government opposed this move and subsequently filed a winding up petition against the resort in the Supreme Court.

In September, a US judge dismissed the bankruptcy filings for Baha Mar’s Bahamian companies.

In spite of the developments, Prime Minister Perry Christie has maintained his optimism about getting the resort back on track. However, he recently confirmed the price to complete the resort has doubled from $300m to around $600m.

Responding to that, Mr Symonette said he was baffled by the “surprisingly low” figure presented by Mr Christie.

“When you listen to some of the stories out there that reference this entire project you wonder how it was that (Mr Christie) came up with that number,” he added.

“It is one thing to get it open, it is a totally different ball game to get it profitable. I don’t think a $600m amount can fix the issues there, get it open and get it to where it needs to be.

“When you look at everything going on, it is clear to see that there is a need for more than $600m.

“Hopefully the liquidators can come up with a more appropriate number, one that comes with a well planned out course of action.”

Last week, the resort’s court appointed joint provisional liquidators, Bahamas-based KRyS Global and UK-based AlixPartners, received court approval to layoff more than 2,000 workers from the resort.

The liquidators have suggested that the layoffs were the result of the financial insolvency of the resort, which has been stalled since June 29.

In May, after the resort’s decision to cancel a number of pre-booked reservations, many frustrated clients took to social media and other Internet sites to vent their frustration with the decision.

In August, the Rosewood Hotel and Resorts International filed a motion in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court to allow for cancellation of its licence agreements and other agreements with Baha Mar.

In documents presented as part of its motion, Rosewood raised concerns with Baha Mar’s limited access to funding to do tasks it agreed to carry out.

Rosewood, along with the Hyatt and SLS Lux were the hotel brands to be featured at Baha Mar.

SLS Lux has since expressed interest in taking over the Rosewood property.

Baha Mar had an original projected opening date of December 2014.