est. 2007

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Carving a Hotel Corridor

The six month old Mottley government cannot be accused of NOT making decisions. In the relatively short time since winning the government several initiatives have been promised with few started. There are private sector projects coming online- a few that have been in the pipeline before the Mottley government took up residence in Government House.

The most recent announcement by the government issued amidst the noise of the Christmas season is the plan to litter the coastline between Hastings and Paradise Beach with about twelve hotels with four receiving upgrades. What piqued the interest of the blogmaster was that areas in St. Lucy, Christ Church and St. Phillip will be identified for tourism related projects. The blogmaster suspects deals have already been cut in smoke-filled back rooms and what is left is the PR piece.

The question Barbadians must ask- are we happy continuing to pump millions in the tourism model? The way business is done in this sector requires generous concessions to be offered AND analysts agree there is significant foreign exchange leakage associated with the segment. The blogmaster is not suggesting we should neglect a sector all admit that is paying the bills. What we want to see is a different kind of investment to grow a more resilient economy.

During the Arthur administration BU posted concerns about the extent the coastline was being carved up to serve tourism development. One expects flyovers will enter the discussion at some point. Our opposition then and still relevant is that Barbados will lose its shine as a SID if we continue to morph into a concrete jungle. We are already seeing unusual changes with our coastline to suggest decisions taken are not in harmony with the environment. We struggle with implementing a waste management and efficient water system. Is it conceivable that we should be looking to ease our hand from the tourism investment mouth?

Regional governments and by extension the citizenry have demonstrated in the last twenty years a lack of innovation and creativity in the problem solving business.

@Hants

You requested to have this matter posted. Expecting you to lead the discussion!

 

 

 

 

466 responses to “Carving a Hotel Corridor”

  1. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    PLT, since you do not say whom you address inre my agreement, it is a pointless comment. I have no idea what you are on about, but I can tell you this, it wouldn’t have been you I agreed with and far too often when one seeks to see who HAS liked a comment it inadvertently marks you up as a liker too. On an iPhone at least.

  2. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    @NorthernObserver
    You are also entitled to your own opinion , but not your own facts. The facts are the facts. Climate change is a fact. The Brexit exposed British xenophobia/racism is a fact. The precarious state of the global economy is a fact.

    I pointed to two of the most public failures, but they are not the only ones. So where are “… the several successes…” that you speak of? GEMS of Barbados? a notable disaster. Almond Beach? another pathetic disaster. Sandals? extorted ransom in tax concessions from the weak Barbados government that we will be paying for for generations. Sam Lords Castle? a beautiful scam where the Chinese loan us money to build a hotel then they pay the money back to themselves to build the hotel. Crane Hotel? just proves my point that mass market tourism is on its deathbed when the only properties that are prospering are way upmarket.

    So where are the mass market hotel successes in Barbados??

  3. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    Sorry 45govt, I was referring to your agreement with Bush Tea’s definition of “albino-centric” being identical with a definition of capitalism.

  4. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    I have another fact for you PLT – you are a demented fanatic and bigot. Of course there is climate change – has been for millennia, Brexit ‘racism/xenophobia is a figment of your race obsessed and diseased mind.

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David who wrote ” You requested to have this matter posted. Expecting you to lead the discussion!”

    The ” discussion ” has been great without my lead. lol. I look forward to the conference in March.

    ““We are going to have a bespoke tourism investment conference in March that literally identifies all of the major plots in the country, particularly let’s start from the Savannah Hotel right down to Paradise. In that corridor, there are potential for about 12 hotel sites and four upgrades,” said Mottley.”

    ” She suggested that before the conference in March, the reformation of the Town and Country Planning Act, is to completed. “

  6. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    @45govt
    You are correct that “… there is climate change – has been for millennia…” climate change has been universal and ever present for at least the past 4.5 billion years. However the fact is that within a few decades sea level rise is going to obliterate most of our beaches, so we are ill advised to base a long term tourism strategy on the basis of beaches.

  7. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    Yes PLT, you are right, if overly pessimistic, but it is a pity you sully your knowledge with opinions claimed as facts, something you accuse others of.

  8. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Mariposa @ 2:03 p.m.

    Hey,hey. Wuh looka dis ting though.

    Here I am looking for the said article because David/BU responded to something I posted earlier in that blog – in his usual manner of course – and when I came back looking for the article – I just can’t find it – even under Submissions.

    I will try again when I have more time – but suffice it to say – a fisherman would not tell you his fish stink.

    Have you ever noticed that persons who are critical of this government’s behavior and their policies – or persons who point out the blatant hypocrisy and lies of Mia Mottley – are labelled by the blog owner in the worst way as only being partisan – and in cases like Mariposa – frequently the ‘Y’ word is used – yardfowl.

    But have you noticed that enuff, prodi – girl, lorenzo, watchman, fearplay, john2, Artax, and all the lot of them are never described as partisans – notice the soothing way he tries to reason with them.Ha,ha – thank God as the oldsters say – MY pot don’t stir at he’ – else de dog dead.

    When the bias choking yuh so bad that yuh can’t even croak and call a spade a spade – even though de truth large in front yuh face – then yuh need help.

    Up to this week I am sure I was able to boldly point out that the Innotech deal was stink and unacceptable – and that the Mottley administration was right to seek to overturn to object to those high rental fees.And that was not the first time for me.

    However have you ever seen Enuff or Prodi-Gal or even the blog moderator come out strongly against the BLP or this Mottley administration ?

    Ask Negroman or Mariposa or even Hal – they might be able to tell you.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Clearly you are illiterate. At the top of the do you see BLP Six Month Scorecard? Children must not play with share edged tools.

  10. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    45govt

    You also befoul your knowledge with opinions claimed as facts when you hold to the position that God does not exist because He cannot be seen with the naked eye? Is reality only object centered or is it subjective as well? And doesn’t God speaks to those whom are called to His purpose by way of the intuitive conscience?

  11. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @plt
    In case you don’t know, Barbados is an upmarket destination. This didn’t begin last year.
    I am unsure what we can do about climate change, or Brexit, or the various economies around the world, or anything else we cannot control, which are facts.
    Take the BHA list, count all the properties in business for more than 5 years and those are your list of successful accomodators. Why is the Crane a failure? I didn’t enter last month, but I saw more building as I drove past.
    So Sandals screwed over the last administration, is that my or your fault? Must one stop trying because we had a group of desperate financial imbeciles in the former administration?
    Yes Almond Beach eventually failed, as company’s with little hotel experience tried their hand. But note, GM Taylor emerged and has his own property on the south coast which I have recommended and the reports from users has been most favourable. GEMS was a GoB phuck up.
    Am I to assume the GoB is planning to run the hotels in this proposed area? I have not assumed this thus far.
    Who said these proposed hotels were to be focused on the mass market? You will get no argument from me that Barbados cannot compete here, many attempts no long term successes.

  12. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    “If there is one thing which offers hope, for a citizenry who seems overly reliant and interested in politics and public employment, is this current group seems capable of juggling several competing priorities at the same time.”

    it is a good sign that many of them can walk and chew gum at the same time…the problems lay in their bad habits, the old school ministers, lawyers and senators who have traveled that road before, those are the ones one need to beware and very careful of…

  13. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    PLT

    You are talking about the ones that travel with their crackers and baked beans in their suitcase. They don’t support the restaurants etc. Doan get tie up. lol

  14. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Another issue I would like to see the Minister of Tourism address is employment in the Tourism Sector and how hotel owners exploit government’s eagerness for investment, to increase foreign reserves and provide employment.

    Although the ambitious idea of constructing hotels along “the coastline between Hastings and Paradise Beach with about twelve hotels with four receiving upgrades,” if successful, would provide employment, from the construction phase to actual employment in these hotels……… unfortunately, the jobs would be mostly relatively low level, some of which there is little or no prospect for promotion, such as food and beverage workers, security guards, bellmen, gardeners, maintenance, housekeeping, pool and beach.

    A hotel’s Housekeeping Department, for example, consists of housemen, maids and laundry attendants, whose main responsibility is to “keep the rooms and their surroundings clean.” Recently, I read a vacancy advertisement where a luxury hotel in Barbados was seeking to recruit an “Executive Housekeeper.”

    A few weeks later, I saw another advertisement in which the same hotel mentioned it did not receive any suitable applications for the post advertised and it was their intention to apply for a work permit so as to recruit a non-national for the position.

    I find it extremely difficult to believe that, with people continually graduating from Pom Marine Hospitality Institute, the UWI’s Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management, UWI Mona’s School of Business and the various other regional and international colleges, with the relevant qualifications…….. a hotel in Barbados CANNOT find a suitably qualified “glorified maid.”

    With forty (40) years concessions, Sandals’ top level managers are Jamaicans who also enjoy tax and duty free concessions on furniture, cars and every imported item that may be considered related to their jobs.

    This current BLP administration reintroduced the policy of state funded tertiary education. Millions of dollars in taxes are used to fund education in Barbados. In an attempt to maximise a “return on tax-payers’ investment,” government should ENACT POLICIES making it MANDATORY for hotels to RECRUIT at least 65% of locally qualified individuals for hotel management level positions………

    ……………..or, if it is absolutely necessary to recruit an expatriate, that individual should be on contract for a specific period of time, during which he/she should be training an “understudy.”

  15. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Once again. I am asking

    Mariposa December 19, 2018 2:03 PM

    Question David what happen to the article you posted on govt performance 2018
    Cant find it
    I read several comments which were crticising govt performance soon after the entire article “thread” disappear
    Wonder who are pulling your strings

  16. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @Artax
    my observations are also those responsible for these permits need to ‘do their homework’ and start a more rigorous approach to the permitting process.
    In multi property/multiple location businesses, one can expect a certain amount of cross pollination at the higher levels, but otherwise, it is hard to believe they cannot ‘find a local’.

  17. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Still searching for that article
    Some one alluded to the message board cant find it
    My opinion which states that there is a puppeteer behind this disappearing act bodes well to say that govt is using a long arm to dispatch with haste what the public should and should not know
    This is the first time during my time on BU that i have seen an article which speaks of govt effort but receives bad crticism remove with haste
    Buyer beware

  18. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    HAVING SPENT THE WHOLE DAY CARVING A HOTEL CORRIDER WHU YA AH DUH NOW?
    NUTTIN! OR JUST BULL SHIT SOME MORE?

  19. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    NorthernObserver/Artar

    With all due respect to the both of you guys, but it seems from a little simple-minded fellow like me that the both of you have some pretty good ideas as to how yall think certain aspects of the Tourist Industry ought to be run, and rather the expressing those ideas here on BU, why not direct them to the Minister of Tourism personally? Talk is cheap and actions speaks louder than word as the prennial-dictum goes…!

  20. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @T.Inniss,

    We have just witnessed an hour-long rant by the prime minister, about Barbados (a bankrupt country), punching above its weight, full employment within one year, an improvement in living standards and Barbados becoming the New Jerusalem.
    @T. Inniss, this is a prime minister who has just accepted that debt to GDP ratio is 123 per cent. So, within a year, she is going to perform magic. Does the full employment include those coming from the other CARICOM countries? I can go on, but I seems as if an appeal for an objective assessment of the Mottley government is considered abuse in the blog.
    I have spoken on numerous occasions about the level of public debate, this is a good example, pretending that a promise to created as hotel corridor from Hastings to Back Rock is a policy. It is a promise, a boast, a wish. Those of us who are serious about policy want to see the position paper on which this bold statement is based..

  21. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    @NorthernObserver
    Barbados likes to pretend that it is an upmarket destination, but in reality there is only a thin upmarket crust on top of a overwhelmingly mass market long stay product. Colony Club & the Elegant chain, the Crane, Sandy Lane, some boutique spots like Lone Star, and a smattering of west coast villas are probably the only accommodations that can be described as upmarket. Taken together they account for far less than 10% of visitors.

    The winged Virgin cattle cars that Branson flies in and out of GAIA every day are the bread and butter of our current long stay tourist industry. These are economy vacation seekers… it would be an exaggeration even to call them middlebrow.

    The Cruise industry is 99% low and middlebrow. It is only the private yachts and sailors that are upmarket.

    The Crane is a success. It is a success because it is an extravagant rip off joint that cons people into those ridiculous timeshare deals. I know the owner, fellow Canadian Paul Doyle, and wish him every success as long as he is not ripping off Bajans.

    My point is that we have enough accommodation to serve the existing airlift. More airlift is not going to magically materialize when we build new accommodation; the new accommodation will simply compete with the old accommodation for the same visitors and they will both lose money. Meanwhile Maloney will be laughing all the way to the bank from the construction contracts and so will the politicians that he has paid off along the way (if any).

    There is a more sensible way to grow our tourism industry:
    * First, you spur demand by inventing activities that tourists want to pay for,
    * Second, this demand incentivizes greater airlift because the airlines monitor their load factors carefully and can respond quite quickly to changes in demand,
    * Third, the accommodation sector expands to take care of increased arrivals in an organic manner through AirBnB… you only throw big capital into steel and concrete if you already have the visitor demand.

    It is economically suicidal for us to attempt to do this in the reverse order. The ONLY reason that such insanity is proposed is that the people who build hotels stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars by screwing Barbados over.

  22. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was BBD1,159.3mn (USD579.6mn), 12.9% of total

    The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was BBD3,593.9mn (USD1,796.9mn), 39.9% of GDP in 2016,”

    Until you find a replacement it seems reasonable to enhance and support the biggest contributor to the economy.

  23. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    Exactly @Hants.
    That is why we need an honest national discussion on how we grow and manage our most important industry, not a knee jerk reaction to fatten the pockets of property developers which leaves Barbados impoverished and polluted.

  24. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    Good post PLT, I knew you had it in you.

  25. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    45govrightwingextremist

    You have met your match and rather than put up a fight you decided to kissing butt …I knew you had it in you

  26. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Of course . This is a govt of smoke and sceens dont take with all seriousness anything that comes out of their mouth
    Still awaiting my bonds savings which govt unilaterally took
    The image of barbados having hotels on the South Coast and tourist swimming in poop would make great headlines across the globe

  27. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    PLT
    Are you agreeing then than there is a need to improve the quality of accommodation and it could be achieved through intensifaction?😂🤔

  28. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Mariposa – take a pic of your bond certificate and send to David BU to upload. Redact all the private info.🤐

  29. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    Leximoron, you are embarrassing yourself again, you god-bothering old moron.

  30. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “But have you noticed that enuff, prodi – girl, lorenzo, watchman, fearplay, john2, Artax, and all the lot of them are never described as partisans…..”
    +++++++++++++

    You are a BOLD FACED, HYPOCRITICAL LIAR.

    Us criticizing the DLP, is what you use as your BASIS to FORM YOUR OPINION that we are BLP supporters.

    Essentially, you are suggesting that you, Mariposa and others who are NOW “critical of this government’s behavior and their policies – or persons who point out the blatant hypocrisy and lies of Mia Mottley………

    …………….are being INCORRECTLY and UNFAIRLY LABELLED as PARTISANS and DLP supporters.

    but, because the people you mentioned above are “persons who were critical of the DLP’s behaviour and their policies – or persons who pointed out the blatant hypocrisy and lies of Freundel Stuart, Sinckler, David Estwick, Michael Lashley, Stephen Lashley, Denis Kellman and Denis Lowe………. SIMILARY to how you and others are NOW criticizing the BLP……..

    ………..it is JUSTIFIABLE, CORRECT and FAIR for you to LABEL them, “in the worst way as only being PARTISANS” and BLP supporters.

    In other words, when T. Inniss PRAISE the DLP and CRITICIZE the BLP, he should be VIEWED as BEING HONEST, FAIR, BALANCED and NON PARTISAN…….

    ………..however, if Enuff or Artax DARE to CRITICIZE the DLP…….they are DISHONEST PARTISAN, BLP stool pigeons and yard-fowls.

    No wonder people call you a yard-fowl.

    The “discussion” about the proposed hotel construction and tourism industry was progressing wonderfully, until you interrupted with your stupid political rhetoric.

  31. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    @Enuff
    Absolutely Not!!

    We have no idea what the visitors want in terms of “improvement” until we succeed in inventing new activities that visitors want to pay for. If we succeed in building extreme sporting activities as the thing that visitors pay for then that implies completely different capital improvements than if we discover that we make more money on poetry readings.

    What we absolutely must avoid doing is simply building more of what we already have; for example borrowing money to put up a middlebrow Hyatt because the only result that will achieve is to impair the profitability of the middlebrow Hilton down the beach. It will not significantly increase the the number of visitors to Barbados for that Hilton/Hyatt experience. That type of intensification is very bad business.

  32. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    PLT
    How do you know it is kneejerk, based on what? What type of hotels are planned-typology, energy and water efficient efficiency, inclusive and accessible, publicly accessible bars/restaurants, proper recruitment and training strategies as alluded to by Artax etc, etc?

  33. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Northern @ 1.12 p and 3.37 p
    I support your views.I also would like to see that plan for redevelopment of the Careenage into a modern marina to cater to those wealthy Yanks and Brits with million dollar yachts etc,up to Bay St Esplanade which Barbados Shipping and Trading published in 1992 and which included a hotel in the area of the Pierhead by Mannings.
    This banter of employing low level workers is hogwash.Barbados is just 1 generation away from slave wages and slave conditions.If our forebears came back they would be astonished at the progress their poor ass offspring have been able to weather,achieve and attain thanks to positive contributions from Sir Grantley,Wynter,Errol,Tom et al.
    One hotel in the Bahamas employs 4500 people….one hotel..We have lots of pluses,the only minuses are in the dead Democratic Labour Party which Errol Barrow carried with him when he went to sea on Caricargo piloted by Colin Mayers.
    Barbados is on the rebound,Who don’t like it can get the hell out ‘o here.

  34. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    Time to think OUTSIDE THE DEPENDENCY BOX…..and get rid of the damn PARASITES Mark Maloney et al..

  35. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    I was shown a receipt from UNNA Resort S.R.L, St. Peter, trading as “Nikki Beach, Barbados,” dated Thursday, December 28, 2017 12:51:12 – 5-BILL 050101/1

    Table 16: 2 Guests

    2 Heineken Beer: $30.43
    VAT 17.5%: $4.77
    Service Charge: $3.20

    TOTAL: $35.20 (US$17.60)

    And at the bottom of the receipt is the following notice: TELL ONLY YOUR BEST FRIENDS.

    Could you imagine that a case of Heineken beer wholesale for approximately $68.00.

    These prices are either catering for the rich and famous, to keep out “riff raffs” like me………. or both.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Dont you understand that this is a debate where there will never be a winner? Why not focus on constructive engagement with the topic?

  37. peterlawrencethompson Avatar
    peterlawrencethompson

    @Enuff
    I didn’t say anything was kneejerk.

    I said that building new hotels is premature until we have generated the demand for their accommodation and that the demand has already led to appropriate airlift. Otherwise we are being led up the garden path by those who profit from hotel construction and don’t give a damn about what white elephants they leave us with.

  38. David Avatar
    David

    This is ridiculous but guess what, customers frequent at those prices? Isn’t price what the market will bear some say?

  39. David Avatar
    David

    Government debt restructure did not touch savings bonds.

  40. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    45govtrightwingbigot

    The airport is probably one places we need to also look in an effort to improve our tourist industry because
    I have heard a lot of complaints from countless friends of mine who have visited Barbados regarding our airport, and the fact that they have to walk in the rain and under cover of darkness to reach in side of the airport building, where most airports in the world you usually to get off the plane and walk right into the building.

  41. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    David

    Why does it cost so much to visit Barbados in comparison to the rest of the caribbean? I visited Barbados in May this year, and I could not find a flight under $800, and when showed this to my Jamaican friend she could not believe it because right around the same time flights to Jamaica run about $500… and less …

  42. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    PLT…you will find yourself having to repeat yourself over and over because of the stubborn and determined ….tunnel vision.

  43. David Avatar
    David

    @Lexicon

    It probably has something to do with distance to the destination.

  44. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Enuff are you out of your mind why would i want to do such a thing
    The govt has a record of names that bought govt instruments
    I do not have nothing to prove to David or BUb
    As a political issue that has an impact on my finances i am free to say my peace on the matter

  45. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    David

    If such is the case then why is it cheaper to travel to the Dominican Republic where most Americans vacation these day?

  46. David Avatar
    David

    @Lexicon

    It probably has something to do with load factor.

  47. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    David

    It can’t be distance to destination because Dominican Republic is much further away than Barbados from any part of America, and yet it is cheaper to vacation there than it is in Barbados…

  48. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    Oh really Leximoron, airlines will charge what the market will bear, it’s called capitalism. You really must spend some time acquainting yourself with reality.
    Congratulations on your improved pidgin, and your claim of ‘countless friends’ amused no end.

  49. Lexicon Avatar
    Lexicon

    David

    I’ll take your word for it …but I haven’t the slightest idea what is meant by the load factor …

  50. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    …..or anything else.

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