EXUMA, Bahamas -- Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham told reporters Monday that he expects the new Sandals Resort in Exuma to be a very successful operation, adding that over 400 persons are expected to be employed at the property once construction work is completed there. 

Mr. Ingraham, along with a delegation of Cabinet Ministers visited the former Four Seasons Resort property following their visit to Acklins and Ragged Island, where they viewed infrastructural needs to be addressed through public works contracts to be signed by the end of November. 

The Prime Minister said: “We expect the hotel to be ready for January 22 or thereabouts, they’ve got over 100 or 150 men working on the job on the construction side. When the place is finished, we expect more than 400 people to be employed.  

“They have been interviewed and they will be selected,” he continued. “We expect this to be a very successful operation; we are very pleased that Sandals has decided to come here to buy the property. We know Mr. Butch Stewart. He is also doing a development at Fowl Cay in the Exumas, which is going to be a very upscale, boutique facility.” 

Mr. Ingraham pointed out that there will be additional airlift coming into Exuma, through the support of the Ministry of Tourism, to ensure that the property has a “reasonable level of occupancy at all times.” 

Regarding Sandals, the Prime Minister indicated that the new owners are likely to have better control over costs compared to the previous operators, because they both own and manage the Exuma property. 

“It is not a question of having a management contract and someone else owning it,” Mr. Ingraham explained. “So everything is theirs…it speaks to the stability of their operation, its speaks to Sandals’ worldwide network of advertising and promotion. 

“They are going to eventually have the marina open [and] they have got the golf course.” 

Hotel manager Teresa Alfonzo advised that the Caribbean’s largest pool, the Infinity Pool, is currently under construction at the property. Three restaurants, she said, are also being added. 

The 183-room Sandals resort will offer all-butler service, and has good bookings so far, Alfonzo noted.

Photo 1: Pictured from left are Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham, Works and Transport Minister the Hon. Neko Grant and Environment Minister the Hon. Earl Deveaux on Monday, November 10, 2009, as they observe work on the largest pool in the Caribbean under construction at the new Sandals property in Exuma. (BIS Photo/Sharon Turner)

Photo 2: The Infinity Pool, the largest pool in the Caribbean, is currently under construction at the new Sandals property in Exuma. Over 100 persons are currently employed at the construction site. (BIS Photo/Sharon Turner)