Great Bay Hotel closing
for 6 months from June 1
PHILIPSBURG--Great Bay Beach Hotel will be closed for six months effective June 1, to allow for the refurbishing and upgrading of the property, Managing Director Keith Graham announced Wednesday.
He gave no indication of the implications of the six-month closure for staff, but The Daily Herald understands that arrangements are being made to provide the more than 100 employees with alternative/continued employment during the resort's closure.
The refurbishing and upgrading works will entail, among other things, the introduction of several timeshare units and the addition of two new restaurants. During the closure guests who have made reservations at Great Bay will be accommodated at Maho Beach Resort and Casino.
In what Graham called an "exciting new development," he said plans were already underway to completely refurbish the property, restoring it to a four-star resort.
"This will involve refurbishing all the rooms and bathrooms and all the common areas of the hotel. In addition, two new restaurants will be added to the property to enhance the product offered to guests," Graham explained in a press release.
He continued: "On completion of the project a number of timeshare units will be available. These units are being created because of the popularity of timesharing in St. Maarten and to take advantage of the magnificent Great Bay beach adjacent to the resort."
He said the project was further evidence of the confidence the Maho Group continued to have in the future of the tourism industry in St. Maarten and in the future of the island. The project is being undertaken "with strong support from RBTT Bank," which shares the resort owner's vision and confidence in the stability and future of St. Maarten, Graham stated.
He said he would be seeking a meeting with the Island Government to provide full details of the project and the arrangements made for the staff while the resort is closed from June 1 until November 2004 when the resort will reopen completely refurbished.
Several of the workers are represented by the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL). Union president Theophilus Thompson confirmed to this newspaper earlier this week that he had been officially informed about management's plans.
"The union has been officially informed. We expect management to deal with workers in accordance with the CLA (Collective Labour Agreement) which stipulates the conditions that would apply should a situation occur requiring closing of the property for renovation," Thompson said.
He said it was expected that no jobs would be lost and that, in the first instance, workers who had accumulated vacation days would proceed on vacation. It is also expected that arrangements will be made for some of the Great Bay workers to be provided with alternative employment within the Maho Group of companies of which Great Bay Beach Hotel is a member.
It is also envisaged that the services of the maintenance staff will be retained during the closure and that the contractor will utilise the services of those workers with relevant skills.
