By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHA MAR’s $350m investment in a new luxury hotel is expected to employ 400 Bahamian workers during the construction phase and over 500 Bahamians after opening, according to officials who signed a Heads of Agreement with the government yesterday.

The 350 rooms and 50 luxury branded residences are projected to open in 2029. The project will be built on the demolished Melia Nassau Beach site, which closed in 2021.

The hotel will include a 14,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, luxury retailers, expansive pools, an outdoor bar, entertainment lounges and additional family amenities.

Designed by architecture and design firm Foster + Partners, the hotel will be situated on 12 beachfront acres. It will feature 25,000 square feet of dedicated indoor and outdoor event space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, 6,000 square-foot junior ballroom, pre-function space, breakout rooms, boardroom and outdoor space.

Officials did not say how many non-Bahamians will work to construct the hotel.  

Graeme Davis, Baha Mar’s president, said this new addition will complement what the resort currently offers.

“We’ll have a two-floor penthouse unit on the top of the residence, and we’ll have additional villas set and nestled along the shoreline,” he said.

Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis said the signing is a “clear vindication” of the strength and resilience of the country’s tourism industry and economy and a reminder of opportunities ahead.

“With Baha Mar’s expansion, we are adding crucial room inventory to cater to more guests, bringing more heads in beds, and ensuring that we continue to attract a higher volume of stopover visitors,” he said. “But, as we add these rooms, we must also work in parallel to increase airlift to The Bahamas, ensuring more direct flights, with greater frequency from key international markets is essential to sustaining this growth.”

He said the expansion reaffirms the strength of the government’s relationship with CTF BM Holdings and its parent company.

Tourism Minister Chester Cooper said officials are looking to get more involved in the South American market and are actively in discussions with major airlines that service that area. He said they are also talking to airlines out of the Middle East.