Rosewood to attract “world’s finest”

Rosewood to attract “world’s finest”
From left: Baha Mar President Graeme Davis, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis and Rosewood Hotels and Resort President Radha Aurora cut the ribbon to officially open the Rosewood at Baha Mar Tuesday evening.

Rosewood – the last of the three best-in-class brands that make up the billion-dollar Baha Mar resort – was officially opened yesterday in an elaborate ceremony at the ultra lux property on Cable Beach.

Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), after purchasing the Baha Mar property, pumped an estimated $43 million into the Rosewood Brand.

Five months ahead of its May launch, travel experts predicted that Rosewood’s opening would attract some of the world’s most affluent travelers, according to Rosewood President Radha Arora.

“There has been a lot of pent up demand,” Arora confirmed to Eyewitness News.

“Back in December, I met with our travel counsellors who give us advice, and they mentioned that there is a lot of demand for this property. Corporate business, incentive business and individual travelers. I am very optimistic about the business we will bring to Nassau.

Inside one of the Rosewood at Baha Mar suites. (Photos courtesy of Rosewood Hotels and Resorts)

“Through our ad campaigns, media buys and our own database,  we’ll ensure that our affluent explorers will experience Bahamian hospitality.”

While the Baha Mar project faced a number of setbacks, which significantly delayed its launched, Arora confirmed that Rosewood never faltered in its interest to be a part of the Baha Mar portfolio.

“We believed in this from the beginning,” he asserted.

“Our ownership believed in it. They came and purchased the asset and asked us to continue managing Rosewood. Seven years I have been watching this project and I am delighted to see its fruition.”

The official opening of Rosewood at Baha Mar, marks the completion of the three-phased development of the resort destination.

Rosewood hotel now joins Grand Hyatt and SLS for a combined 2, 300 room count.

The opening of Rosewood also marks the 22nd property launch for the resort conglomerate.

Rosewood boasts of resorts in exotic countries such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia, China, Paris and others.

The largest resort in the Caribbean, Baha Mar has over 40 restaurants, various sports offerings, a luxury spa and retail brands, an art center with programs and a modern convention center.

Rosewood adds 239 rooms to Baha Mar’s package and employs over 450 associates.

“As a brand differentiator, sense of place is always important to us, and every aspect of it focuses on local culture. We infuse Rosewood culture, local culture and combine the excitement and pride of our associates,” he shared.

“They will be the ones to build future relationships with our clients so it’s all important to the overall tourism product.”

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, who delivered brief remarks at Tuesday’s opening ceremony said, he is confident that the continual evolution of the Baha Mar product will prove beneficial for The Bahamas.

“With its exceptional marketing campaign, Baha Mar is doing exceptionally well with excellent prospects for long bookings over time,” the prime minister touted.

“Baha mar is slated for other new features that will add to its brand that will further help to transform Cable Beach.”

Baha Mar President Graeme Davis, who echoed the prime minister’s sentiments said, “It’s an exciting day for all of us here.”

“This is a commitment fulfilled and all of us are very proud of what we have seen unfold today. We have world class brands that are working hard to deliver world class service,” noted Davis.

“We have rolled out a $25M advertising campaign, so, I think what keeps us motivated is that we want to continue creating wonderful experiences and spectacular moments for our guests.”

To this end, Rosewood’s president reassured media Tuesday that the mega-resort brand will be pumping significant marketing dollars into its newest destination in The Bahamas.

“We have a good amount of marketing dollars that we will contribute toward Nassau,” he said.

“So, as we have seen throughout the brand, we have high occupancy and command the highest average daily rate (ADR) in all the destinations that we are in.”

Eyewitness News learned Tuesday that the newest property is fully booked for its soft opening, slated for June 28.

An ocean view room, booked during that period, carries a price tag of $645 nightly, hotel reservation sources confirmed.

About Theo Sealy

Theo Sealy is an award-winning journalist who serves as senior broadcast reporter and weekend TV news anchor at Eyewitness News. He has achieved several career milestones, including his work as a field contributor with CNN, his coverage of four consecutive general elections, his production of several docuseries and his Bahamas Press Club Awards win for “Best Television News Story” in 2018.