Above: Grand Bahama (Photo: Bahamas Tourism)
By Alexander Britell
PARADISE ISLAND — The new Memories Grand Bahama Beach & Casino Resort on Grand Bahama is projected to open in the second half of this year, according to David Johnson, director general of the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism.
Johnson was speaking at a press conference at the CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace Conference at the Atlantis resort.
The project is a redevelopment of the former Our Lucaya Reef Village resort on Grand Bahama.
Hutchison Port Holdings, the government of the Bahama and Canada-based Sunwing TRavel Group signed an agreement to reopen the property as a nearly 500-room, all-inclusive property managed by Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts.
Grand Bahama will also be seeing increased airlift from the US through Sunwing’s Vacation Express carrier, through a joint venture with the Ministry of Tourism.
Memories has five resorts in Cuba. It is expanding to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
The new hotel will generate 1,000 permanent jobs on Grand Bahama, Johnson said.