The Jolly Beach Resort is still scheduled to be reopened this Christmas but government officials say there are “all types of issues” related to the property.
Nevertheless, Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez said they will find a way to get a number of rooms opened “in a relatively quick manner”.
“That is something we are working on. We have had people down from the Apple [Vacations] group looking at the hotel and making recommendations for what we can do to salvage some of the rooms for the upcoming season. Public Works is working really hard also,” Fernandez told yesterday’s Observer AM show.
The government recently announced that it had reached an agreement with leisure resort company, Apple Vacations, months after eminent local hotelier Rob Barrett pulled out of the project.
The North American firm, according to Fernandez, will manage the bookings and the property for a period of time once it is up and running, but repairs are being done by the state.
“We were responsible for putting it together in terms of financing and doing whatever renovations, repairs, that are necessary.
“As you can also imagine, when you are building a property, it is much easier than if you are repairing it. As you take one piece down you see something else that needs to be done,” he shared.
Fernandez estimated that the hotel will have about 200 rooms which will cost roughly US$6 million when all other necessary repairs are considered.
