ONLY two-thirds of the more than 600 employees who were terminated by Sandals Royal Bahamian in August reapplied to work at the hotel, with a resort official saying the severance payout from the surprise terminations “opened up opportunities” for former staff members.

Yesterday, the resort announced that nearly 500 jobs have been offered and accepted as the property moves to fill some 600 posts brought on by a temporary closure and renovation project.

The property closed in mid-August and is expected to open in mid-October. Labour Minister Shane Gibson and union officials have criticised the hotel for the surprise terminations, accusing resort executives of “union busting”.

The Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union has several ongoing disputes with the hotel and has been fighting for years to be recognised as the property’s bargaining agent.

In a press release issued yesterday, the resort said hundreds of people began orientation last week, preparing for new jobs at the property once it reopens after a multi-million-dollar makeover.

According to the release, some senior staff members walked away with more than $34,000 in severance pay from the resort.

Sandals has said there would be no overall job loss, pledging that the resort would employ the same number of people that it had on staff prior to the closing. The property held a four-day job fair shortly after it closed.

“Only about two-thirds of those employed before turned out for the job fair though everyone was invited,” said Jeremy Jones, Sandals Resorts International’s director of corporate services.

“While we were a bit disappointed in the numbers, we were not totally surprised. The severance packages made it possible for people who had been working hard to take some time off. Others may have chosen to go back to school or develop skills for a different position or career. For many, the unexpected closure and immediate pay-out opened up opportunities.”

As of yesterday, nearly 180 of those former staff members who applied have started orientation and there are still more positions to be filled, the resort said.

“We continue to aim for a mid-October soft opening and we want to make sure all posts are filled with a six-month training cycle so there is little time to spare,” Mr Jones also said. “Fortunately, everyone is showing tremendous enthusiasm and there is a real spirit of rejuvenation, a pride in being part of something historic and something new all at once.”

Sixty employees were transferred to Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma to help accommodate the extra bookings from transferring guests who had reservations for Nassau. Those guests were also treated to extra complementary days and the company covered the cost of airfare to the new destination, the hotel said.

“We are on target for a mid-October soft opening,” Mr Jones said. “When you are doing extensive repairs in an historic property like the Royal Bahamian you learn to expect the unexpected. Despite extra work that had to be undertaken, construction crews and sub-contractors have brought their best game and have hit schedules remarkably well and we really thank them for that.”

More than a dozen Bahamian companies were engaged to work on repairs that were so extensive the hotel had no option but to close, according to an engineer’s report, resort officials said. Boilers and chillers were being replaced, two large pool decks completely removed and replaced, ballrooms renovated, guest rooms redone, several villas gutted and rebuilt, pathways and common areas reworked, original wooden floors sanded and refinished, air conditioning replaced and a new dining option created.

Hotel sources were caught somewhat off-guard, knowing repairs were imminent, but not fully aware the hotel would have to close to make way for the work, the resort’s press release added.

According to officials, the closure came as the Cable Beach all-inclusive property was enjoying nearly 100 per cent occupancy and was facing a nearly fully booked property for the next several months.