Hamilton Princess: $52M Upgrade
Tourism & Business Development Minister Wayne Furbert joined the owners and management of Fairmont Hamilton Princess today [Dec.14] in announcing a new $52 million waterfront development project.
The Government has granted in-principle support for the concept of a redevelopment plan submitted by the hotel for a yacht club and additional rooms.
The development is anticipated cost $52 million and will take 18-24 months to complete. It comprises of an expansion of the Poinciana Wing, construction of a yacht club and renovations to the hotel’s swimming pools, restaurants, and fitness centre.
Artist’s rendering of proposed development:
The expansion will includes 39,000 square feet of new construction including three additional floors atop the current Poinciana Wing of the hotel for a total of six floors.
The yacht club will comprise 60-90 permanent berths based on the slip size and configuration. Its design is a floating concrete dock system designed to hurricane-standards with public dock space for day docking.
Minister Furbert, Chip Halquist of GHI and Hamilton Princess General Manager Leonard Czarnecki:
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,
I am here today with Mr. Chip Halquist who is representing Global Hospitality Investments (GHI) the owner of Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.
Our exciting news is that the Government of Bermuda has granted in-principle support for the concept of a redevelopment plan submitted by GHI for a yacht club and additional hotel rooms.
Note that the approval is for the concept only and the Company is aware that it will have to make a submission to the Development Applications Board.
The proposed project is Phase II of GHI’s investment product. Phase I was a $25M project that commenced in September 2007 just after the company purchased the property.
The project included renovations to 113 guest rooms in the Bermudiana House and refurbishment of 85 guest rooms in the main house, the Fairmont Gold Lounge, and the hotel’s restaurants.
As a result of the capital improvements in 2007, the hotel was awarded the prestigious AAA four-diamond distinction.
Phase II, is expected to take 18-24 months to complete and comprises of an expansion of the Poinciana Wing, construction of a Yacht Club and renovations to the hotel’s swimming pools, restaurants, and fitness centre at a cost of $52M.
The expansion includes:-
- 39,000 square feet of new construction on the existing foot print includes three additional floors atop of the current Poinciana Wing of the hotel for a total of six floors
- Floors 1-3 contain 66 guestrooms that would be renovated as part of the expansion
- Floor 3 would be added to the Fairmont Gold category of the hotel’s inventory
- Floors 4-6 will be able to accommodate up to 66 additional keys configured into 33 planned hotel residences which could be put back into the hotel inventory rental pool
The Yacht Club will comprise 60-90 permanent berths based on the slip size and configuration. Its design is a floating concrete dock system designed to hurricane standards with public dock space for day docking.
Berths would also be leased to local residents and transient yachting visitors. The development is intended to include world class amenities to attract world class yacht owners.
We anticipate that the Yacht Club will expand the boating community on the island and increase awareness by promoting Bermuda in the international yacht community.
There is no doubt that business community in Hamilton will also see direct benefit from the increased boating traffic and associated visitors.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We applaud GHI for having the vision and despite the economic down-turn the company has opted to proceed with its capital investment plans. We believe that this project will increase employment in both the hotel and construction industries and stimulate the economy through increased bed count inventory.
GHI has aligned the positioning of the hotel with that of Bermuda to support the international business and luxury tourism market.
We look forward to the increase hotel inventory and the new yacht club which we believe will hold significant social and economic development opportunities for the area and the tourism sector as a whole.
I now invite Mr. Halquist for a few remarks.
Thank you!
Good news – cash injection for the Country, jobs for the people and a better product for a Tourists. We just need a country that welcomes its tourists and treat them like they are guests and dear friends. Friends don’t rob or harm friends!
furbert, we know behind the scenes your new little PLP mates have offered them first choice at Government tax breaks….CASINO…..PLP LIARS
u see de hand shake (-.-) lmao
oh well we bermudians r noyt dumb wen de truth comes out oh boy
Any hint of when this might commence to be built?
another election ploy…Has anyone heard from Mr Bazarian ? and what has happened to the Ritz Carlton in the car park ? The former Premier who served only one term…who lives the life of the rich and fsmous…%^&*( us and now we have The Cog…who is doing the same thing……
I’ll believe it when I see it!
I have seen over the last few years at least five (5) of these photo announcements in relation to major hotel developments with the previous Premier and Tourism Minister and to date, not one has been started…
Mr Furbert, I certainly hope this one will be realized.
These guys want a casino, not a marine gas station. At any rate, still a step in the right direction…unless the permission will be used as a sweetener for them to sell on the property.
Congrats! Finally some good news!
Suddenly the UBP Leader makes things happen. He should have been retained sooner then maybe Bermuda would have not been dragged into the mess it’s in.
I’m sure those plans weren’t drawn up in the last month. Get real.
Exactly lots of ground work had to be laid before any kind of public announcement. This was years in the making.
Years in the making? Or an election promise rolled out on the spur of the moment?
Based on their track record, it’s a baseless election promise that will never happen.
Congratulations to the PLP Government for supporting this development. Minister Wayne Furbert is doing a Great Job.
Congrats???? for real??? Did you really think this government would object to it…even if it was considered a bad idea (Im not saying it is)? Do you not remember Tuckers Point???? Wasnt that long ago.
What exactly is the problem with tuckers point? A hotel which is looking to expand due to high demand?
30-50% occupancy is not high demand!!!!
Er no. A hotel bailed out by an unpopular SDO due to low demand.
im sure this was started long before wayne furbert came in, to be honest even the speech was probably written before he became minister. so to give him any credit is ridiculous. im guessing credit should probably be going to minister minors.
Hate to be a naysayer but realistically that Yacht Club dock ain’t gonna work – and will get considerable objections from the marine community at least as its depicted in the artists impression.
The marine channel in and out of the harbor west through Two Rock runs straight past the front of the hotel. Tell me how a container ship plus a ferry and private boats/yachts are supposed to move freely in and out of that part of the harbor with a dock of that size, in that space? Not realistic!
Plenty of room for it as depicted.
Question is, how will it stand up to a major storm?
Nice addition to a waterfront hotel with deep water right in front.
lol might as well blow up whites island while they are at it inna
They take turns…they do have common sense. …most do anyway. Do you see everyone rushing to get thru two rock at the same time???? No…there is give and take. if they can do it on the Thames and many other narrow channels and rivers around the world it shouldn’t be a problem
Thank you for at least making sense..
We need to improve our yacht infrastructure. This is a great move.
@Hmmmmm Hmmmm/On to the next one says/Trianlge Drifter – you obviously don’t use that stretch of the harbour yourself or most other waterways in Bermuda very much or you would realize, like our roads, common sense doesn’t come into play any longer when it comes to its use. In the summer at the peak of traffic that stretch of water is very busy!
Would it make sense that Government is talking about widening Two Rock to allow wider cruise ships in yet they could they justify destroying several Islands but allow for restricting the width of the channel by allowing this to be built? Wheres the logic in that?
As a daily user of the water I can tell you the area of water directly off HP is a heavy traffic point. Its something that needs to be carefully considered is the only reason I brought it up.
My comments were not a direct criticism of the larger concept or idea of redeveloping the hotel itself.
Congrats to the UBP leader but we’ve seen and heard all this before from the ex PLP leader. Nothing new just an election ploy until I see ground broken!
Is there any positive in this story? Take the people out of the picture and think of better products for our visitors. I NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SOO NEGATIVE AND THE NEED TO VENT! CAN WE DO BETTER? WE AS A PEOPLE WERE NEVER SO LOW ON NEGATIVITY!
You can thank the PLP Government for that.
Congrats to GHI for your vision – thank you for your boldness to further revitalize Bermuda’s tourism industry. May there be a smooth process for the complete approval of your grand development – along with being built in a timely manner, and, as well as the hiring/training of many Bermudians to compliment this endeavor.
Amen!
The biggest day to day problem with this marina, as depicted is boats, even the big ones, on the western side of it being pounded by the rolling wake of the ferrys which don’t slow down at Saltus Island where they are supposed to.
lets hope it comes to pass when the Casino bill is passed….If you recall in December 2007 one week before the election Ewart Brown promised that work would commence on the Park Hyatt before year end 2007 and after the election nada….
And then in October 2010 Ewart Brown said that “financing was in place” and work would start on building the Park Hyatt in November 2011. Turns out that was a bunch of hogwash too.
These people are plain liars. You can’t believe a single word.
I think that this is such a benefit for bermuda tourism, however with the unpredictable hamilton harbor weather being exposed rite in the front of the fairmont how will this be successful. Is there going to be a break wall like the water front, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, or Royal Amateur Dinghy Club. I see this being very positive for us bermudians to be proud of and hope all goes through and happens.