Meeting News - April 7, 2008 - (Page 28)

Destination Insider: Caribbean Edited by Lori Morris lori.morris@nielsen.com MeetingNews Q & A: Harrah’s Jumps Ship Unexpected move leaves many questions unanswered for Baha Mar Resorts project The Baha Mar Resorts project in the Bahamas ran into a major setback recently when joint venture partner Harrah’s Entertainment announced that it was pulling out of the project due to excessive delays and disorganization. A statement from Nassau-based Baha Mar implied that doubts about the project recently expressed by the Bahamian House of Assembly also affected Harrah’s decision. Harrah’s had pledged a Caesars Resort Hotel to the $2.6-billion project planned for Cable Beach in Nassau. The project had received approval from the Bahamian government at the end of January. Starwood Hotels & Resorts is a managing partner, with four hotels on the 1,000-acre site—a W, Westin, St. Regis, and the newly opened Sheraton—but the Caesars Resort was the complex’s anchor, accounting for a third of the site’s 3,000 guest rooms and what was to be the largest casino in the Caribbean. Baha Mar’s statement implied that Harrah’s was out of line: “Baha Mar has notiﬁed Harrah’s that it disputes Harrah’s ability to unilaterally terminate the arrangements.” A Baha Mar spokesperson said, “Baha Mar is committed to moving forward with the Cable Beach redevelopment project and, if necessary, will explore alternative options with the [Bahamian government] to complete the project in a responsible fashion to the beneﬁt of the economy and people of the Bahamas.” Cayman Islands’ Convenience Caribbean destination is a competitive choice for meetings Shomari Scott, deputy director of international marketing for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, discusses the impact of current infrastructure and destination developments on the group experience. Whether it’s a meeting for 10 or a conference for 1,000, meeting planners will ﬁnd the Cayman Islands a stress-free jurisdiction in which to work. Residents here enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, so there is access to topnotch telecommunications services, state-of-the-art meeting facilities (some of them right on the beach), world-class beaches and recreation, and convenient flights to and from North America. Additionally, planners looking for great discounts on accommodations for large groups will ﬁnd deals among our 2,200 hotel rooms and 2,300 available rooms in condos, guest houses, and apartments. Q A How do the Cayman Islands appeal to U.S. meeting planners? Bodden Town. The Pride program, implemented to boost customer service standards in the tourism industry, is well under way and receiving accolades from the government, visitors, and meeting planners. Additionally, Cayman is aggressively developing its sustainable tourism guidelines and action plans, something important to eco-conscious businesses and meeting planners. The new Cayman Diving Lodge is being built to LEED standards, and Lighthouse Point, set to open in December 2008, will have many environmentally friendly features. What are some of the challenges the Cayman Islands face when trying to attract the U.S. meetings market? Q A QWhat A are some of the latest developments? The Mandarin Oriental will soon break ground, while the Retreat at Lookout Gardens recently opened on ﬁve acres of open plantation in Potential weather-related issues, such as hurricanes, can be of concern when researching a destination between June and November. However, Cayman offers the Worry-Free Hurricane Guarantee, which covers any cancellations made prior to arrival and compensation if vacation time is cut short because of inclement weather. Gastronomy for Groups ‘Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza’ debuts in April aborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza, a new annual food festival organized by the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association (PRHTA), will bring together international and local chefs (Puerto Rican cooking personality Cielito Rosado, James Beard Best Chef Award winner Michel Richard, chocolate extraordinaire Jacques Torres, and Ingrid Hoffman of Food Network’s Simply Delicioso, S among others), restaurants, food and beverage distributors, and food lovers for seminars, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and rum samplings. Part of the proceeds from Saborea will be used by the PRHTA Educational Fund to provide training and certiﬁcation for hospitality professionals. “We wanted to create an event after the high season to give people another reason to come to Puerto Rico. With so many great chefs and restaurants here, it is a perfect combination,” said Clarisa Jimenez, president and CEO of PRHTA. “We also wanted to create a fund to help employees in the industry grow professionally. “When groups visit Puerto Rico, they want to get to know the culture of the island and savor the food,” said Jimenez. “When the ad ran in Bon Appetit, one of the ﬁrst calls we received was from someone who wanted to take an entire group to the event.” As of press time, PRHTA was in discussions with the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau to develop group-speciﬁc programs. 28 MeetingNews April 7, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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