PLP: ‘Air Of Mystery With Club Med Development’

February 8, 2015

[Updated] “The air of mystery surrounding the potential development at Club Med is worrying in light of the thousands of Bermudians out of work, and an island desperate for an enhanced tourism product,” Shadow Tourism Minister Zane Desilva said.

“Media reports questioning the veracity of Minister Crockwell’s December 12, 2014 speech to Parliament, where he claimed that St. Regis-Starwood Hotels and Resorts will be managing the hotel is worrying, but the further revelation that no plans have been submitted to Planning, creates an immediate need for Minister Crockwell to reassure Bermudians that the OBA is telling the truth. They must also reassure the people of St. George’s that their promise to deliver a hotel to the east end won’t be broken.

“The OBA’s record on honesty, openness, transparency and keeping their word is dismal and when, yet again, the words spoken by a member of the OBA don’t appear to match up with reality, Bermudians can’t help but think that they are being deceived again.

“The project at the former Club Med site should benefit all Bermudians and as such we all have a stake in its success. Is it too much to expect that if Minister Crockwell makes a statement that it can be supported by independently verifiable facts?”

In his December 12th speech in Parliament,Minister of Tourism & Transport Shawn Crockwell said that Desarrollos will construct a five star hotel at the old Club Med property, which will be managed by St. Regis, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

The Minister said the ”development budget is estimated at US$120 million and we are aiming to have construction commence in mid 2015 with construction time estimated to be 16 month from commencement.”

Update Feb 9, 8.19am: In response, a Ministry spokesperson said, “The Ministry is pleased with the progress that has been made thus far and the project is moving forward positively. The Ministry remains committed to providing updates on the project at the appropriate times.”

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Comments (59)

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  1. Terry says:

    “The air of mystery”.

    Bawahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
    Thank Ewart Brown Zane.

    It all went up in the “air”.

    Damn………what a day to give up rum again.

    • Hurricane says:

      No, don’t blame Ewart Brown, THE PAST IS THE PAST, let that go and start holding the NOW administration accountable.

      • Creamy says:

        If the past is the past, why do you lot keep bringing it up? Why do you live in the past?

        Zane has no credibility on this issue because of his own actions in the past.

        • Hurricane says:

          “You lot”……..tells me a lot about you. Not that I hadn’t figured you out before now, just a confirmation.

          • Toodle-oo says:

            And they also know what ‘you people ‘ means when it comes from your side.

      • Ruthless says:

        Hard to let go of the past when the past keeps talking. Tell the past to shut up!!!

        • Hurricane says:

          It’s only hard because you don’t want to let go. Ignore the past if it was so bad and start telling the truth, the whole truth and making thing right.

          • Just saying says:

            Lets look at it this way neither party wants to stop talking about the past. Both are guilty as charge in this case. The ruling party is in charge of our furture and by the looks of the events of the past few weeks wow is all I can say.

          • Politricks says:

            Am I hearing things? A PLP supporter saying don’t dwell on the past?!

            Hahahaha.

            I must be getting senile in my young age because I know no PLP supporter would ever tell anyone else to let go of the past!

            • Huriricane says:

              Just for the record, I DO NOT support the PLP or OBA for that matter. And for that very reason, neither of them seem to want to move forward.

  2. Ed Case says:

    There’s an air of mystery in the fact that there are still people who would listen Zane.

    He is grabbing at straws again.

    Seriously Zane, is this the best you can do? I’d recommend to stop issuing such silly press releases – you are embarrassing yourself, and your party.

    • Raymond Ray says:

      Zane DeSilva is more concerned about what’s in it for him…and no-one else :-(

      • This Guy Here says:

        Im confused, what exactly is in this for Zane Desilva?

        Who actually stands to profit the most from this hotel being built?

        Not Zane.

    • High road says:

      There is a whole air of mystery with the plp

  3. islandguy says:

    The plp is questioning the club med site!
    Maybe they should questions some of there decision on that exact same site.
    Knocking the golf club dow.
    Putting poeple out of work, that could still be employed there until a developer is found.
    How many developers did the plp have..
    And as i always state i do not support party politics.Right is right and common sense should always prevail.But lately common sense isnt so common any more.

    • Bermudian. says:

      Under the hood, lift your head up fella, you wanted the job, now do it, stop looking in the rear view mirror.

  4. Kangoocar says:

    Is it just me or does anyone else feel that any mention of the words ” honesty, oppeness and transparency ” could not have come from zane???? Also, were was all the concern from the plp when dreb proudly stood there and watched the implosion of that site??? claiming we are in the platinum period??? How many years later and now the plp are concerned???? Give me a break!!!!!!!

    • Kangoocar says:

      Also lets not forget that big Pinocchio that the plp/flip flop furbert came out with just days before the last election??? Remember when they claimed that development on that property was immenent???

  5. Well then says:

    Oh hello Mr. Desilva, haven’t heard anything from you in a while.

  6. Soooo says:

    Look who crawled back out of the putting green!! Zane knows very well that these things take time…. The PLP had a developer signed up for almost 10 years without a block being layed!!

  7. Unbelievable says:

    Check Zane trying to make some news up. I was wondering where he has been too.

  8. Sky Pilot says:

    Zaney and the plp need to learn to keep their collective mouths shut when talking about the former Club Med site.

    they would also do well to remember,Rome wasn’t built in a day.

  9. somuchless says:

    It can’t be the PLP talking again. Lol

  10. Creamy says:

    When EB announced that “ground will be broken in November 2011″ there was an air of mystery when that didn’t happen.
    Don’t recall Zane mentioning that at that time.

    • Navin Johnson says:

      You will also find out that Ewart guaranteed groundbreaking in Dec 2008 just before that election….he said the same thing 3 years in a row……

      • Creamy says:

        Yes, you’re right. I am just referencing the announcement he made in 2010 that financing was in place, and ground would be broken November 2011. He had made promises prior to that.

      • MAKE MY DAY says:

        I don’t know who lies more… Brown or Hussein Odummer!!

    • Sky Pilot says:

      it all went down in the Hudson!

      • Creamy says:

        Nope. That accident happened Jan 2009. DREB announced in late 2010 that “financing is in place” for groundbreaking November 2011.

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        No, it all went down in the Indian Ocean. Everything disappeared without a trace.

        Those who went down in the Hudson survived.

  11. Spectator says:

    “They must also reassure the people of St. George’s that their promise to deliver a hotel to the east end won’t be broken.”

    LMAO well you already lost your chance!! All you did was knock one down!

  12. Ed Case says:

    PLP had some experience with the Club Med site. They knocked down the hotel, then the restaurant, and closed the golf course. I mean who can out do that??

  13. Terry says:

    Ain’t seen nothing yet.
    Wait till (until) works start on the AC.

    It will give a new meaning to piece of the Pie.

  14. For real says:

    No joke

  15. jt says:

    Zane must have been taking a soak in his hot tub time machine this weekend.

  16. Coffee says:

    Are we still attempting to raise the Titanic ? The UBP / OBA sunk that thing decades ago !

    • Kangoocar says:

      Coffee, you seem to have a problem with your alphabet??? I will help you!!! These are the letters you are looking for when it comes to WHO sunk that development decades ago!!! Plp / BIU !!! I am always here to help you! !!

      • Onion says:

        Don’t you mean the PLP/UBP?

      • MAKE MY DAY says:

        @Kangoocar….. Some people will NEVER learn!! They have a permanent handicap!!

  17. frank says:

    The minister has made another bad decision again by choosing this group
    Also why does he keep refusing to tell the people of Bermuda what the staff in the tourism authority make
    After all it is the peoples money. If he does not answer the question then he should forced to by the speaker
    And if the speaker does not do his job then he should go also

  18. Terry says:

    Must be Sunday.
    The trolls are not at their desks.
    Can’t wait for Monday morning…………………..
    I need a rum…….

  19. Varied says:

    Seriously though, this is one area that the PLP ought to really hold off on criticising. Up until the last election day, the PLP was trying to convince Bermuda that the Club Med development was still on the cards.

    Objectively speaking, yes, we probably do need to hear more on what’s becoming with that property. But it just seems out of place for the PLP to mock the process at this time, talking about honesty and openness.

  20. Lawry says:

    I have a sense Zane almost wants it to fail before it even starts. Shame about the golf course, the club house, the people it employed, the people who payed the fees and for food and drink after the round, a shame about the enjoyment it all helped bring both players and community – but then Ewart and pals always ðid resent ordinary folks enjoying themselves.

  21. Concerned Citizen says:

    What will you bloggers do when it is revealed that Shawn Crockwell and the OBA are lying AGAIN? Oh I forgot, deflect and blame the PLP. Liars!

  22. What's the problem? says:

    When the old building was imploded Bazarian was going to develop a new hotel there by 2012. Since he (and the Premier/Minister of Tourism at the time) were class acts and would never promise something that they can’t deliver I’m sure the hotel has already been built and has been operating successfully for at least two years.

  23. Rockfish#1 and #2 says:

    The Port Royal fiasco is no longer newsworthy, so Zane now feels it’s okay to come out of hiding.

    • Raymond Ray says:

      It is still being investigated, therefore time will tell whether or not it’s still “newsworthy”

    • MAKE MY DAY says:

      Zane Desilva needs to go back to his “bulldozers”!! His political BS days are OVER!!

  24. Something from Nothing says:

    “The project at the former Club Med site should benefit all Bermudians”

    So sick of the entitled, socialist mentality that prevails in the PLP statements. You think that you deserve to benefit from a project simply because you were born here. This is why so many Bermudians think that they do not have to work hard, don’t have to go above and beyond to get and keep a job.

  25. Alvin Williams says:

    ‘This is why so many Bermudians think they do not have to work hard”? Who are you talking about? you are not talking about me and some people I know; some very hard working Bermudians. We know from historical experience that you can not be trusted no matter how many apologists you trot out that look like me; political or other wise. that why the power or decision making must be taken out of the hands of this traditional selfish element in this country and put back in the hands of the people.

    • Kangoocar says:

      Oh good lord alvin, stop with your racists rants already!!!!! It has gotten you know where and you still can’t see it?????

  26. funny says:

    Just the headline of this discussion is killing me. OK PLP you need to stop you are the ones that put major damage to the Tourism Industry. How I know I watched you and now OBA is following suit you want to make noise. A lot of the revenue generated in the immigration is from work permits for people in this industry that Bermudians created. Who introduce the big cruise lines here to believe it or not take away from the industry. Oh yeah the cruise ships have to pay government for each passenger so that’s more revenue for them whilst us Bermudians in the industry continue to suffer. It will not improve until you go back to the basics and encourage the locals instead of discouraging them.