p22 Hotels Sept4 28/8/09 17:19 Page 22
Hotels & resorts
Rupert Murray
020 7921 8010
rmurray@ttglive.com
For the latest accommodation news, visit
ttglive.com/hotels
Sandals buys
Bahamas venue
SANDALS Resorts International is to add a 14th
property to its portfolio after agreeing to buy
Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald
Bay in the Bahamas for an undisclosed sum.
The 500-acre resort was recently closed and
Sandals said the deal with the property’s
receivers, PricewaterhouseCoopers, would bring
much-needed employment back to the area and
was backed by the Bahamian government.
After some refurbishments the resort, which
features a Greg Norman-designed golf course,
will reopen on January 22 next year as Sandals
Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas.
Sandals Resorts founder and chairman, Gossel Ridding is a 12-bed Edwardian house in Cumbria, one of the self-catering properties featured by Mr & Mrs Smith
Gordon “Butch” Stewart, said: “We are acquiring
one of the most spectacular pieces of real estate
in the Caribbean.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to further
Mr & Mrs Smith
demonstrate our commitment to providing the
very best holidays in the Caribbean.”
Sandals Emerald Bay is located on a one-mile
stretch of white sand beach on Emerald Bay,
brings it in-house
Great Exuma, Bahamas.
The all-suite resort will offer 190 luxury ac-
Rupert Murray.
site – but bit by bit we seem to have become
commodation options ranging from beachfront LUXURY travel club Mr & Mrs Smith will be them all and I consider us a travel club now.
villas to bay house settings, all with ocean-fronts entirely self-sufficient when its technology “We have brought each facet in-house and
and butler service. comes in-house in December this year. to great effect – the passion is here within the
Since its inception in 2003 the venture has company, so it’s not surprising.
evolved into something far more than the “And now we have built our own booking
InterContinental
original ground-breaking guidebook. platform so we have control over everything.”
And as the company has changed, managing The company has grown year on year for the
opens in Kiev
director and co-founder James Lohan has opted past three years since becoming a bookable web-
to bring every facet of the business in-house. site. Year-on-year growth was steady at 100%
It was almost two years ago that he brought but has dipped to 60% during the recession.
INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels & Resorts has opened the travel sales team into Lohan said the key to
a hotel in Ukraine. the fold, with great success. success had been sticking
InterContinental Kiev is in the heart of the “The people employed to the company’s core val-
city centre, between three of the most famous externally as consultants ues which revolve around
churches of ancient eastern Christendom: weren’t close enough to hand-picking every hotel,
St Michael’s Cathedral, St Andrew’s Cathedral the brand,” he said. and anonymous reviews.
and the Cathedral of St Sophia. “It’s not their fault but The latest book, which
General manager Leon Larkin said: “Like many we were converting at a focuses on Australia and
of our sister InterContinental hotels worldwide, third of what we do now New Zealand, will be out in
the location could not be more strategic. with our own travel con- shops in the autumn.
“Our doors open directly to some of the best- sultant team.
known landmarks in this city and our contempo- “In the beginning we ■ Read an exclusive
rary-classical facade blends perfectly into the had no plans to become interview with
heritage and culture of the immediate area.” an operator, travel agent, James Lohan at
The hotel has 272 rooms, plus suites. publisher, bookable web-
ttglive.com/ttgluxury
22 04.09.2009
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