STILL reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island has pushed back its reopening date to Valentine’s Day of next year, senior hotel officials said on Friday.
Management did not specify what will happen to the 350 members of staff in the meantime, but said they and the unions have been informed of the extended period of closure.
John Conway, general manager of the luxury hotel, said in a statement that the property’s managerial team is “working very hard” to clean up in the wake of the Category 4 storm with an aim of reopening its doors to its guests on February 14, 2017.
Mr. Conway said the hotel is currently accepting reservations for February 14 and beyond.
Prior to Hurricane Matthew, the reopening had been scheduled for the beginning of December.
“We are working hard to clean up following the storm and to deliver the true One&Only Ocean Club experience,” said Mr. Conway. “We will use this time to further enhance our guest experience and focus on further development of our amazing colleagues. We greatly appreciate your patience and support during this time.”
In an earlier interview, Viktoria Riley, director of sales and marketing, told The Tribune that the luxury hotel sustained some damage during the hurricane and will need time to repair the property as well as remove all the debris. It is understood that the Ocean Club lost a number of roof shingles from the Crescent Wing and the Villas during the storm, and that the Dune restaurant sustained damage.
Last year, the One&Only Ocean Club closed it doors for renovations at the end of August and reopened at the beginning of November.
At the time, resort management told The Tribune that the hotel’s owners, Access Industries, had been planning “a significant renovation” with the $15 million redevelopment of the Hartford Wing to include expanded and restyled rooms.
Those plans also included a $3 million pool on the beach-front between the Dune restaurant and the wooden terrace, a $1 million facelift and increased expenditure on entertainment at Dune, and upgraded Wi-Fi across the property. The Courtyard Terrace restaurant was closed, which signalled the start of the improvements. Access Industries had pledged a $50 million expansion of the Ocean Club.
By Nico Scavella, Tribune Staff Reporter
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