p26 Hotels Mar5 3/3/10 12:24 Page 26
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Profile David Ames, Harlequin Hotels
Harlequin courts
Caribbean islands
As ground is broken on resorts in St Lucia, Barbados and
the Dominican Republic, the entrepreneur behind Harlequin
Hotels shows no signs of slowing down. By Philippa Jacks
D
avid Ames tells me he doesn’t on the next resorts in the portfolio. Ground has
particularly like the Caribbean. been broken on The Merricks in Barbados,
This is not what you’d expect to The Hideaway in the Dominican Republic, and
hear from a man about to open one The Marquis Estate in St Lucia last month.
of the most ambitious resorts the Caribbean The Marquis Estate will feature the world’s the Caribbean resorts will be joined up. Harle-
has ever seen. first Gary Player golf hotel, with rooms and villas quin says it will set up its own airline, Harlequin
Ames is chairman of Harlequin Hotels & spread around the course. With two further Dom Air, as well as building its own boats, so guests
Resorts which will, in four months time, open Rep resorts in the pipeline, Harlequin claims it can enjoy two or three-centre holidays without
the doors of Buccament Bay – a 1,200-room will open a staggering 8,000 hotel rooms in the having to use regional transport.
mega-resort on the small island of St Vincent. Caribbean over the next five years. Development is funded by investments
Ames makes no bones about the fact that he through sister company Harlequin Property, and
hasn’t rated the Caribbean in the past. “I go on Joining the dots Ames claims Harlequin Hotels is in the fortunate
holiday to the Maldives or the Far East,” he says. Expansion is not limited to the Caribbean; resorts position of having no debt.
“I go where you get value for money. And I don’t in Brazil and Thailand are also planned. But He says around £1 billion-worth of property
believe you get that in the Caribbean right now.” what’s particularly interesting is the way in which has already been sold, and the group is in no
hurry to get paying guests through the doors.
Celebrity tie-ups “What’s important for us is for our travel part-
With Buccament Bay, Ames intends to “show the ners to come and have a look, and feel confident
Caribbean how it should be done”, combining sending their clients to us. We’re not desperate to
luxurious accommodation with a star-studded get paying guests until November.”
programme of activities. The Harlequin Sports
Academy is being led by TV football pundit and Government talks
former Republic of Ireland team captain Andy The government of St Vincent and the
Townsend, with Pat Cash brought in to set up a
Harlequin’s planned portfolio
Grenadines has understandably welcomed such
Tennis Academy, and Liverpool Football Club large-scale investment: Buccament Bay is
launching its first soccer school. Buccament Bay, St Vincent (above) * July 1, 2010 currently employing 1,000 workers.
In the Harlequin Performing Arts Academy, The Hideaway, Dom Rep early 2011 Ames has also been approached by the
guests will take classes in acting, stage-manage- Two Rivers Beach Resort, Dom Rep summer 2011 Jamaican and Antiguan ministries of tourism,
ment and make-up from real West End and The Merricks, Barbados 2012 and even in St Vincent there are further areas the
Broadway professionals. The Marquis Estate, St Lucia TBC government would like the company to develop.
An extraordinary attention to detail has seen Las Canas, Dom Rep TBC “We’ve proven that we mean what we say. The
Harlequin design bespoke cutlery, crockery and Garapua Beach Resort, Brazil TBC Caribbean’s fed up with people going in there
furnishings for Buccament Bay, as well as sourc- Nirvana Beach Resort, Thailand TBC then not employing the locals,” he says.
ing its own wine label, and even creating a So while the Caribbean may not have been
swimwear range.
* Phase one sees 368 rooms open on July 1. Expedia is now
David Ames’ destination of choice in the past, the
selling the property while Harlequin is in talks with UK
As the launch date of July 1 draws nearer,
operators including Caribtours about featuring the resort
region certainly looks set to be the focus of
Ames and his team are already setting to work attention of Harlequin Hotels in the future.
26 05.03.2010
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