The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas, Coming Soon To Paradise Island

Leading luxury hospitality company Four Seasons, US-based real estate development firm Two Roads Development and Access Real Estate announce plans for The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas.

Anticipated to open in 2027 and set within an oceanfront enclave on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, the upcoming residential community will present a curated collection of 67 turnkey Private Residences managed by Four Seasons located in close proximity to The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, the debut of The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas will offer discerning buyers an exceptional opportunity to own part of a legendary destination, while enjoying the privacy, amenities and unparalleled service for which Four Seasons is renowned.

"We look forward to partnering with Four Seasons to celebrate this iconic destination and to set a new standard for luxury living in The Bahamas," states Reid Boren, Managing Partner, Two Roads Development. "With convenient access from major US and international gateways, The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas will allow owners and their guests to experience the very best service-rich luxury lifestyle paired with the amenities of The Bahamas' most legendary resort right next door."

"Since 2017, Four Seasons has been proud to be part of the Paradise Island community and manage such a legendary property that is beloved by many," says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development, Portfolio Management and Residential, Four Seasons. "Our new Private Residences will be the perfect complement to The Ocean Club Resort while offering a more permanent address to those looking to make this special destination their home with the service and lifestyle excellence that only Four Seasons can offer."

"We're delighted to work with Four Seasons and Two Roads Development on the Ocean Club Private Residences. As a long-term investor on Paradise Island, we continue to stimulate economic growth. This project will bring an additional USD 400 million in economic activity to the Bahamas and is projected to create around 200 full-time jobs," says Jonah Sonnenborn, head of Access Real Estate.

Designed by SB Architects, a leader in hospitality design and with interiors by New York-based Champalimaud Design, a renowned design and planning firm specializing in bespoke, high-end hospitality and residential design, The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas will brilliantly capture the beauty of the island throughout the development.

All homes will feature oceanfront or ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows, and expansive outdoor verandas for indoor and outdoor entertaining. In addition, each home will have an open floorplan that features premium fixtures, cabinetry, fittings and details throughout. Residences will range from 3,124-interior square-foot (290 square metre) two-bedrooms and 4,073-square-foot (378 square metre) three-bedroom homes to 5,028-square-foot (467 square metre) four-bedroom offerings.

Five-bedroom beach villas will offer 7,459 square feet (693 square metres) of interior living space with 6,604 square feet (614 square metres) of outdoor terraces, including a private pool. Penthouses will offer an average of 5,263 square feet (489 square metres) of interior living space and 3,917 square feet (364 square metres) of outdoor space, including a private pool.

On-Site Four Seasons Amenities and Resort Access

Adding to the experience of living with Four Seasons will be an array of on-site offerings for residents to explore. Amenities will include an oceanfront swimming pool with private cabanas and clubhouse, an owners' library, as well as a lounge, private cellar and rum room, co-working space, well-equipped children's playroom, multi-use media room, luxuriously-appointed indoor and outdoor spa treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness centre containing dedicated outdoor space. The property will also feature a beach-front restaurant and bar offering main and private dining rooms.

Residents will also have access to the amenities at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, including its famed Versailles-inspired Gardens and restaurant Dune by Michelin-star Chef Jean-Georges. Residents are welcome to enjoy the Resort's three swimming pools, six Har-Tru tennis courts, eight Balinese-inspired spa villas, daily yoga and pilates and shuttle service to the 18-hole par 72 Tom Weiskopf-designed championship golf course.

Through a dedicated team led by a Director of Residences, homeowners will experience legendary Four Seasons service to effortlessly oversee all aspects of home care.

For more information, visit www.TheOceanClubResidences.com or call 242-603-8750.

Five Reasons To Visit Nassau Paradise Island This Winter

December is here, and for many parts of the world, that means winter isn’t far behind. But not in The Bahamas! With warm temperatures and sunny skies year-round, it’s always summer here in Nassau Paradise Island, and The Bahamas is the perfect winter vacation destination to help you escape the cold-weather chills.

Here are just five of the many great reasons to plan a trip to Nassau Paradise Island this winter. You might need to visit more than once to fit everything in!

1. Sunshine, comfortable days, warm water… You’d never guess it’s the middle of January when you’re here in Nassau Paradise Island. Our average daily temperatures stay pleasantly warm throughout the winter, with the mercury reaching the high 70s every day. And with sunny skies and warm waters, you can indulge in your favorite outdoor activities like snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing.

2. Take part in one of the Caribbean’s most colorful celebrations. On Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, you can be part of Junkanoo, The Bahamas’ annual holiday celebration and undoubtedly the biggest nights of the year on the islands. Dance the night away at Nassau’s Junkanoo parades, complete with traditional music, elaborate costumes, and plenty of Bahamian spirit!

3. See one of the world’s most legendary performers on New Year’s Eve. If you’re visiting over the holidays, don’t miss Diana Ross live at the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom on New Year’s Eve! We can’t think of a more glamorous way to ring in 2016 than with one of the music industry’s top entertainers of all time here in Paradise in what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime show. Check out all of Nassau Paradise Island’s upcoming events, including Diana Ross on New Year’s Eve.

4. Run a marathon (or 5k) in Paradise. Sign up now for the 2016 Marathon Bahamas happening January 16-17. With events ranging from a 5K to a full marathon and even a marathon relay, this fun event is a great way to explore Nassau Paradise Island on foot, get lots of exercise, and receive a medal for your efforts. After the marathon, spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach – you’ve earned it!

5. Celebrate the holidays at the beach. Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the best of the holidays in The Bahamas. Hotels and resorts often have special holiday activities planned. Atlantis Paradise Island, for example, has plenty of fun for the whole family scheduled throughout December including breakfast with Santa, Christmas craft sessions, and Menorah lightings for Hanukkah.

Beautiful weather, exclusive events, and holiday celebrations – what’s not to love about winter in Paradise? Check out our great travel deals and start planning your winter escape to Nassau Paradise Island today. Come and see for yourself why winter is better in The Bahamas!

Travelore News: Bahamas Repeals Hotel Guest Tax

Visitors will save 2.5% on tax on services with new regulation 

As of January 1^st 2015, visitors to the Islands of The Bahamas will enjoy a reduction in taxes on the services they use. The Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, repealed the Hotel Guest Tax of ten percent (10%) and replaced it with a seven and a half percent (7.5%) Value Added Tax (VAT), a two and a half percent (2.5%) saving. The VAT will be charged on hotels and home rentals as well as all other services supplied to guests.

The removal of the Hotel Guest Tax and the introduction of the VAT at a reduced rate is indicative of the government’s determination to make a vacation in The Islands of The Bahamas the best value for money for visitors, allowing them to keep more money in their pocket to spend as they wish. Tourism Minister, the Honorable Obie Wilchcombe said, “Thanks to responsible fiscal management by our government, our Ministry of Finance is are able to reduce the tax that is charged to visitors to make it more affordable to holiday in the Islands of The Bahamas. We are determined to make a Bahamian vacation the best value for money in the world for a holiday”. 

In making the announcement the Ministry of Finance stipulated that no operator or owner of holiday accommodations may collect Hotel Guest Tax in The Bahamas as of 1st January, 2015. VAT registrants must make provision to collect the tax for stays already booked for 2015 and any contract executed or reservation made after 31st August, 2014, is considered under the general transitional provision for VAT and as such will be presumed to have made provision for VAT for accommodations commencing on or after 1st January, 2015.

The legislation is very strict as to who may charge and collect the VAT and only VAT Registrants with a Tax Identification Number (TIN) displayed in the holiday accommodation will be allowed to collect the VAT.

About The Islands of The Bahamas
The Islands of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world’s best golf, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with pre-clearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It’s Better in The Bahamas. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To purchase one-of-a-kind items from The Bahamas, visit www.eshopbahamas.com

Caribbean's Newest Destination Amber Cove In The Dominican Republic To Welcome First Cruise Ship In 2015

Amber Cove, an exciting new destination located in the heart of the Dominican Republic's breathtaking North Coast, known as the Amber Coast, just outside the historical town of Puerto Plata – will welcome its first cruise ship when the Carnival Victory arrives on October 6, 2015, for a day-long call.

The visit by Carnival Victory is the first of 37 calls by eight different Carnival ships that will take place between October 2015 and April 2016, accounting for more than 100,000 guests during this period.

Amber Cove will be a featured port on select sailings of Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, Carnival Splendor and Carnival Victory from Miami, Carnival Conquest from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Valor from Port Canaveral, Fla., and Carnival Fantasy from Charleston, S.C.

"Amber Cove is destined to become a cornerstone in creating new itineraries from several U.S. home ports," said Terry Thornton, Carnival's senior vice president of itinerary planning. "It will provide an unmatched combination of 'fun in the sun' activities and eco-tourism opportunities along with unique sightseeing, dining and cultural experiences to create a lifetime of wonderful vacation memories for our guests," he added.

Designed to serve as the gateway to one of the world's most beautiful cruising regions, Amber Cove features dramatic architectural elements that echo the area's storied Colonial past. The port is situated in a picturesque cove that serves as the backdrop for soaring mountains and lush tropical landscape. Its cobblestone plazas will be lined with a wide variety of retail offerings, including themed restaurants and bars and a marketplace with locally sourced crafts and souvenirs, recreational amenities, and a transportation center for access to land and sea adventures.

The facility will offer two berths that can accommodate up to two large post-Panamax cruise ships simultaneously.

Amber Cove will feature one of the most extensive shore excursion programs available in the Caribbean, offering a wide array of landside experiences including beautiful beaches, exciting water sports and special culinary, cultural and adventure options. Nearby Ocean World, which is one of the region's largest marine adventure parks, will offer guests many great ways to experience and interact with a variety of marine animals.

Dozens of shore excursions will be available, from cross-country adventures in 4x4 Terracross buggies that traverse the rugged countryside and horseback riding on the beach to snorkeling in crystal-clear waters and swimming in a pristine natural river pool.

Guests can also travel via speedboat to beautiful Paradise Island, one of the Caribbean's top spots for snorkeling and scuba diving, or visit rural coffee plantations and sample traditional Dominican cuisine, rum and seasonal fruit. Or for the ultimate luxury experience, guests can reserve their own private beachside bungalow with the services of a personal chef, bartender and staff.

Amber Cove will also provide easy and convenient access to the nearby historic town of Puerto Plata, named by Christopher Columbus when he discovered the island in 1492. Puerto Plata is home to the first fort built by European settlers in the New World. Visitors to the city can shop in the bustling downtown area featuring numerous artist studios and rum and cigar factories or stroll along the famed Malecon, a three-mile-long open air beach-side boardwalk dotted with bars, restaurants and shops.

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Travelore News: Marriott Adds Bahamas’ Atlantis Resort To Growing Autograph Collection

A view of the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. / Getty Images

Atlantis, Paradise Island — the 3,400-room Bahamas resort with a water park, shark lagoon and pseudo-archeological “dig” — will become part of the extendedMarriott International family.

The resort near downtown Nassau and the global hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, announced Wednesday that Atlantis is joining the Autograph Collection, a group of independent hotels that are part of Marriott’s global sales, reservations and rewards systems.

Rick Hoffman, Marriott International’s executive vice president of mergers, acquisitions and business development, said in an interview that the company has been eyeing Atlantis since it established the Autograph Collection in 2010.

Then, the property still belonged to Kerzner International, which opened Atlantis in 1998. As part of a debt restructuring, Kerzner handed ownership of the resort to Brookfield Asset Management in late 2011, and Marriott continued talks with the new owner.

“This has been a happy ending to a fairly long story,” Hoffman said.

Atlantis, the collection’s first property in the Bahamas, will be integrated into the Marriott system in the fall. Hoffman said the addition of the property, which also includes a casino, golf course, retail complexes and more than 20 restaurants, will give Marriott loyalists new options.

“Our customers are looking for more and more unique experiences, different place to go,” he said.

Even with a quarter of the resort’s business coming from groups, Markantonis said he sees potential for growth in that area as well.George Markantonis, the resort’s president and managing director, said Atlantis would benefit from the wide reach of Marriott’s loyalty program, which has 45 million members.

“There are amazing group and convention facilities which I think we will be able to expose to a broader market thanks to [Marriott's] reach,” he said.

Wednesday’s news follows an earlier announcement that the resort had completed a $1.95 billion recapitalization, which included a $195 million infusion from owner Brookfield Asset Management as well as $1.75 billion from a group of other lenders. Marriott provided a $100 million mezzanine loan as part of the package.

Brookfield also announced that it had established a new management company, Brookfield Hospitality, to replace Kerzner International, which has a contract to manage the resort through Sept. 9.

While the management company itself is new, it will be made up of people who have been operating the resort.

“Our view was that we wanted to bring the management in-house to Brookfield, but we wanted to do it using the expertise of the people who had been running the property,” said Andrea Balkan, managing partner of Brookfield Real Estate Financial Partners, the subsidiary that includes Atlantis in its holdings.

In an emailed statement, a Kerzner spokesperson said the company is proud of its accomplishments in the Bahamas, especially establishing the Atlantis brand.

“We are now expanding Atlantis internationally with the flagship Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and our new development Atlantis, Sanya in China,” the statement said. “The Atlantis brand has been driving significant development interest in new markets and we look forward to continuing to expand it globally.”

On Paradise Island, Balkan said Brookfield plans to continue to invest in Atlantis in the coming years, though she would not say what changes might be in store.

“We’re going to continue to innovate, we’re going to continue to come up with new and exciting attractions to really firm up our position in the family market, leisure market and group market,” she said.

The iconic property is about to get some major competition, with the $3.5 billion Baha Mar development set to open in December. That project, on Nassau’s Cable Beach, includes four new hotels, a casino, golf course and convention center.

Balkan said none of the recent changes announced at Atlantis are in response to the nearby development.

“I think Marriott’s a phenomenal distribution channel, and I think the Marriott addition to our team helps us compete, but it’s not specifically designed to compete with the resort down the road,” she said, pointing out that competition comes from South Beach, Orlando, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. “This helps us to compete with everything that’s being done. . . . It provides us with one more tool in our toolbox.”

Contributed by Hannah Sampson

(c)2014 The Miami Herald. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

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