'Minor' fire at Baha Mar

Tue, Mar 24th 2015, 12:05 AM

Baha Mar executive Robert "Sandy" Sands confirmed yesterday there was a fire on the balcony of the Grand Hyatt hotel, one of the four new hotels at the property. Sands said the "minor construction fire" was isolated to the balcony and lasted seven minutes. He said Baha Mar's internal team with the assistance of firemen dealt with the fire.

"There was no significant damage to the balcony. We thank all the teams for their quick response," he said.

Sands was unable to say what led to the fire.

The $3.5 billion resort is set to open on Friday. However, Baha Mar Vice President Alyssa Bushey told "Travel Weekly" last week that only one of the four new Baha Mar hotels will open on Friday.

The Baha Mar Resort and Casino - a nearly 1,000-room property with a 100,000 square foot casino - will open as scheduled, according to Bushey.

The Grand Hyatt is set to open on May 1, and the former 694-room Sheraton Nassau Beach Hotel, now the Melia Nassau Beach, is supposed to be renamed the Melia at Baha Mar once that property completes its $19 million renovation. There have been no details on when the SLS Lux and the Rosewood Baha Mar will open.

Officials broke ground at Baha Mar in February 2011. The project had been scheduled to open to the public by the end of 2014. Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe told Guardian Business that the delay was no surprise to him.

The resort's amenities will include the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the ESPA at Baha Mar spa and more than a dozen pools. Other attractions will include 50,000 square feet of high-end retail and shopping and over 30 restaurants, bars and lounges. The resort will also include 200,000 square feet of combined state-of-the-art convention facilities, including a 2,000-seat performing arts center and an art gallery with the largest curated collection of Bahamian art, a beachfront sanctuary with native Bahamian flora and fauna and a private island.

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