By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The British Colonial will be "more leisure-oriented" than it was in the past, its top executive said yesterday, with the property keen to ensure service standards are not sacrificed in the "ramp up" following its December opening.

Dan McDermott, the downtown Nassau resort's general manager, told Tribune Business: “We’re opening in-season, which is a little different because a lot of hotels open in the off-season. So we’ve got to be a little careful in how we open in that we don’t open too drastically and open with 100 percent of everything open.

"So we don’t want to be in a situation where we're disappointing guests as they come into the hotel. But, at the same time, I expect us to be busy.” Speaking during the second day of the British Colonial's staff recruitment drive, Mr McDermott said the property will stay true to its business travel roots while also targeting more leisure business than before when it was branded by the Hilton.

“It’s going to be more of a business hotel than probably hotels that are here on island now, because it has always been a business hotel. So I don’t think I want to lose that business,” Mr McDermott said. “With the new restaurant outlets and the new pools and everything else they did, it’s more leisure-oriented than it was before.”

The property, which has undergone a $100m refit, will also focus on the corporate and meeting market. “I think the outlook is spectacular, but like any new opening it’s going to take some time,” Mr McDermott said. “I feel good about the business because I think The Bahamas and Nassau have done an amazing job of creating lift in the market.

“There's several new flights. You can come in from Los Angeles now. You can come in from all across the globe, really, and it's a testament to Nassau’s tourism. Everything that has been done in The Bahamas to grow tourism here has been done. My experience is when you think of Nassau not being this large place, it's probably the best airlift I've ever seen, considering the size of The Bahamas, you know, and the ability to grow the business.”

The British Colonial is aiming to “capture business early on" by opening in time for the Christmas and New Year holiday season, plus the 2024 peak winter tourism season. The property will have five new restaurants along with its 288 rooms.