5 2


Harlequin plans new resorts after $11m court win


Ben Ireland ben.ireland@travelweekly.co.uk


The group behind luxury Caribbean resort Buccament Bay hopes to open two new resorts after winning a lengthy court battle and more than $11 million in damages.


Harlequin Hotels, which owns Buccament Bay in St Vincent and Blu in Saint Lucia, had been embroiled in a legal row with Wilkins Kennedy, Harlequin’s accountants from 2006 to 2010. This week the High Court ruled


Wilkins Kennedy had breached its contract in relation to giving financial and business advice to thousands of investors over the Buccament Bay project, ahead of its opening in 2010. Wilkins Kennedy also acted for building contractor ICE Group, which in 2013 was ordered to pay $2 million for misappropriating funds meant for the Buccament Bay project. Cash was spent on private jets, a Saint Lucian racecourse


Advantage’s Colin O’Neill has ‘been in discussions’


and a £1 million wedding. Harlequin Hotels chairman and


founder David Ames said he would use the money from the court win to improve the five-star, 195-room Buccament Bay resort, and build two Harlequin hotels in Barbados and the Dominican Republic. However, this will depend on thousands of investors voting for the plans that Ames will put to them in the coming months. Harlequin sells through Secret Escapes, British Airways, Best at Travel and Kenwood Travel, among others, and has previously been sold through Caribtours and Kuoni. Ames said: “We’re delighted with


the result, which means my name has been cleared. The message for the travel trade is that they should have confidence in us and we are a clean company to work with. “Our trade partners have worked


with us in the past few difficult years, but need to know we are looking forward to the future.” Wilkins Kennedy was ordered


to pay $11.63 million, plus interest and costs.


Advantage targets Freedom agents


Amie Keeley amie.keeley@travelweekly.co.uk


Advantage Travel Partnership is pursuing Freedom Travel Group members following the Co-operative Travel’s decision to end its joint venture with Thomas Cook last week.


Freedom and The Co-operative


Personal Travel Advisors will come under the full ownership of Cook, along with 200 shops, now that the five-year deal has ended. A number of Freedom members received letters and sales materials last week from Advantage. The letter stated now that the


joint venture is coming to an end “you might want to consider your options”. It goes on to promote the group’s technology and commercial terms. One Freedom member, who


wished to remain anonymous, said it is only the second time another consortium had approached him. He confirmed his business


David and Carol Ames: Won Harlequin case Inset: Buccament Bay


would be staying with Freedom and had thrown the Advantage letter away. Other Freedom members on the


group’s Facebook page confirmed they had received letters and some had also been called by Advantage. A press release sent out by


Advantage last week stated a number of Freedom members had “re-engaged” with Advantage following the joint venture announcement. Advantage’s business


development director Colin O'Neill said: “We have been in discussions with a number of potential new members for some time. The recent JV announcement prompted some of the Freedom members we were in dialogue with to push on with the discussions. “Given that reaction, we thought


it a reasonable move to contact all Freedom members to see if they felt the same way, offering them the choice of Advantage Managed Services.” Freedom’s biggest member,


World Travellers UK, said it had yet to receive a letter but would be staying put. Founder and managing director


Tom Dunkley said: “It’s business as usual for us. I’m very happy where we are. Freedom is very supportive of us and we are very supportive of them.”


15 December 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 5 3 STORIES HOT


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