Above: the Baha Mar project in the Bahamas
By the Caribbean Journal staff
SLS Hotels is coming to the Bahamas.
The luxury hotel brand will be managing a 300-room hotel at the Baha Mar resort project, which will include 107 residences.
SLS at Baha Mar is the first international venture for Sam Nazarian’s company, which operates hotels in Beverly Hills, Calif. and Miami Beach, Fla.
SLS Hotels will join brands already signed on at the resort, which include Rosewood (200 rooms) and Grand Hyatt (707 rooms). The Baha Mar will also debut its eponymous Baha Mar Casino & Hotel upon its scheduled opening at the end of 2014.
SLS will also be debuting in December 2014, the property said.
The brand will be replacing Morgans Hotel Group, which had initially signed on to operate a 300-room hotel at the resort but terminated its agreement earlier this year.
“SLS will bring a spark of creativity and fun that fits in brilliantly with Baha Mar’s distinctive array of brands and partners,” said Sarkis Izmirlian, Chairman and CEO of Baha Mar. “Sam Nazarian’s ability to be ahead of market trends has differentiated his eclectic hotels, nightlife, restaurants and cutting-edge design and will bring a truly unique experience to Baha Mar guests. Also, the company’s experience in creating, selling and managing luxury real estate properties will bring additional value to the SLS Residences at Baha Mar.”
In a release, Nazarian said SLS at Baha Mar represented “a collaboration of best-in-class hospitality partners led by Sarkis’ unbelievable vision, and is a perfect fit with our core strategy of developing and managing luxury lifestyle hotels and residences aimed at higher-end leisure and business travelers.”
The Baha Mar project will also include a Jack Nicklaus golf course, an ESPA Spa, among other amenities.