Breezes Shuts its Doors

Mon, Aug 29th 2011, 04:26 PM

As the dust settles from Hurricane Irene, major resorts are reporting significant damage and Super Club Breezes will be closing its doors for at least two months.

In a statement by the company, Breezes announced, due to the passage of hurricane, the resort has suffered damage and will not be accepting new arrivals until November 1, 2011."As the damage is primarily roof damage, it will take some time to properly asses and effect necessary repairs," the statement said.

Although no official figures have been released, the setback will result in major losses in revenue for the major resort company, not to mention the cost of repairs.  Meanwhile, Cape Eleuthera, the only deepwater marina on the island, has sustained an estimated $250,000 in damage.

Stephen Kappeler, the general manager, said the greatest obstacle ahead for all resorts on the island is the restoration of electricity.  "Everybody is okay.  There are no injuries or deaths that I know about," Kappeler said.  "There's probably a quarter-million in damages, but we are waiting for power so we can put 50 people back to work."

The restoration of electricity was a priority for hotel and resort properties up and down the length of Eleuthera, as well as the settlements, according to Kappeler.  He described South Eleuthera where the Cape Eleuthera resort it located as "littered" with downed power lines, and having no electricity, cable, or internet connection as a result.   

The situation has forced Cape Eleuthera to close, cancelling reservations for the upcoming U.S. Labor Day holiday. The resort's generator facilities allow for water to be pumped from wells, but he said not much more than that.  

Sewerage, for example, could not be properly managed on the generator power. Until he knows when power will be restored, he said the resort could not facilitate guests and would remain closed. It means his 50-or-so employees, mostly from the surrounding communities, will be out of work in the immediate aftermath of Irene.

"Everything hinges on power," according to Kappeler.  He said the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) should use whatever resources or assistance were available to return electricity to the island as soon as possible.  The marina itself remained structurally sound, Kappeler reported.   

Of the four vessels that remained there during the storm, he said they all fared well, though one lost a cleat - a T-shaped projection used to attach ropes.  The resort, located at Powell Pointe, South Eleuthera, near the Deep Creek settlement, has the only surge-proof full service Blue Flag labeled marina in Eleuthera - capable of berthing up to 200-foot super yachts.

Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, David Johnson, told Guardian Business that communication to some of the islands was still problematic on Friday.  That made understanding the extent of damages to the properties across the archipelago difficult.  Still, he said, "we fared very well"."We're still waiting for people to expedite the process because communication is still out to some of the islands, such as Cat Island and Long Island," Johnson said.  "[The islands] are doing clean up locally.  They have the ability and resources."

According to Johnson, One-and-Only Ocean Club and the Cove on Paradise Island suffered some minor damage.  On Friday, those resorts were closed as teams worked to repair a few minor leaks and landscaping damage, he said.Sandals reported landscaping damage at its property at Emerald Bay, Exuma, and the Sandals Royal Bahamian in New Providence.

"We've been very lucky with both," said Yasmina Cherquaoui, head of PR for Sandals Resorts Northern Caribbean.  "There has been no structural damage, but a lot of damage to landscaping and vegetation."Cherquaoui reported that Sandals had guests in-house Friday, but two restaurants had already opened successfully the prior night and three were scheduled to open that day.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

 Sponsored Ads