Grand Bahama’s Happiest Hotel, Pelican Bay, is determined not to let the COVID blues stop its happiness or business. Keen to keep their doors open and the hotel staff working, the Pelican Team came up with a Valentine's Love special that adhered to COVID safety while also keeping sweethearts happy in these ‘trying times’.
“We wanted to create a buzz and do something unique that we haven’t seen before on the island,” said Pelican Bay’s Reservations & Revenue Manager Dominique Smith. “We know that everyone wants to be safe, but they want to still celebrate their love for each other. So, we thought of a fun way for us to promote not only a great hotel rate for our waterside rooms, but also offer an intimate dinner for two on our picnic benches located around the property. Giving each couple their own private dining experience and valentines desserts; both safe and romantic.”
Pelican staff bookings were spread over Valentine’s Day weekend starting from Friday 12th thru Sunday 14th, and guests seemed pleased with the experience. “My experience with Pelican Bay was waaaayyy beyond what I expected,” said guest Alex Beckles. “ I was skeptical about the picnic idea at first, but I eventually bought into the idea (so glad I did...). The picnic set up was simple but very romantic, it was tucked away in a corner with the canal as the backdrop. Dinner was neatly packed in a picnic basket, with a bottle of wine, dessert and a Bluetooth speaker too. The Bluetooth speaker did it for me, and dinner was perfect.. hot, tasty food with generous portions. A hotel rep checked in on us every so often to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. My date and I truly enjoyed the ambience, the food, the dessert and of course the personal DJ. Pelican Bay's sunset picnic dinner was by far the best Valentine experience I've ever had.”
Despite the challenging year from Hurricane Dorian and the rapid loss of tourism throughout The Bahamas from COVID, the Pelican Team has been making sure they are refining and improving every aspect of the guest experience. “It’s great to see that we can provide a safe and popular way to celebrate Valentines in these difficult times,” noted Pelican Bay’s General Manager Magnus Alnebeck. “To see our guests happy and enjoying a bit of romance helps to motivate us all to look after our guests.”
Pelican Bay never closed after Hurricane Dorian or during the pandemic, offering accommodation for those coming into repair the island and then quarantine rooms for those caught in travel emergencies or government needs. The leading resort on the island is now fully operational, including its restaurant Sabor , Esthetics Plus Spa and Bones Bar, both local favourites that are pleased to be re-opened, opening until 11 pm now and adhering to all COVID rules. “We are a resilient hotel,” noted Alnebeck. “We have dedicated staff and compassionate partners who care very much about our island and the tourism business. I thank my team for their dedication in creating creative concepts to fill our rooms and for making our guests happy.”
