Above: Bermuda

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Venezuelan hotel firm Desarollos Hotelco Group is in talks to build a new resort in Bermuda.

Bermuda Tourism Development Minister Shawn Crockwell told Parliament that the government had decided to enter into an exclusive negotiatoin period with Desarrollos to construct a “world-class full service resort” on the 124-acre St George’s Tourism Development Site.

The selection of Desarrollos resulted from an RFP process with the objective to “provide a high quality tourism development that will complement the St George’s UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and accentuate the historical significance of the area while providing economic opportunities for the people of St George’s and Bermuda,” Crockwell said.

Desarrollos has developed a number of hotels in the region, from a JW Marriott in Venezuela to the recently-opened Ritz-Carlton in Aruba.

The company is also planning to build a JW Marriott resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The proposed project would include 238 rooms and a renovation of the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones-designed St George’s golf course.

The project would also include 16 hotel residences, 24 golf villas, 16 estate residences, a casino, a spa and fitness centre and meeting space.

“This announcement is exciting news for Bermuda as the benefits of this development are significant to the revitalization of our tourism industry, the St. George’s community and Bermuda as a whole,” Crockwell said.