Prevue January-February 2014 - (Page 14)

good business Baha Mar's Smart Design New Nassau mega resort develops green/local art programs Mondrian at Baha Mar I t's been a long time since there was this much anticipation about a new resort in The Bahamas and the Caribbean at large. Baha Mar opens on Cable Beach just outside Nassau in December, and the owner and developers have gone to great lengths to build such a large project as responsibly as possible. That includes a wealth of innovative environmental and community initiatives. The 2,900-room resort "village" includes the two boutique hotels operated by Mondrian Hotels and Rosewood Hotels catering to incentive and VIP groups. For meetings and conventions, the 700-room Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar and 1,000-room Baha Mar Casino & Hotel will house groups booking the 200,000-sf convention center. And in November, the newly named and previously existing, 694-room Meliá at Baha Mar will join the family in December as an all-inclusive product following an $18 renovation. Much of the foundation for the new hotels was built out of concrete imploded during the demolition of the previous resorts on-property. Due to the fact that Baha Mar was constructed on land previously zoned for hotels, the impact was considerably less than what it would be otherwise. In addition, the company donated $2 million to preserve the red mangroves in a 70-acre "no build zone" to protect the native ecosystem, with low-impact trails constructed for guests to hike through the wetlands. Over $25 million is being invested to redesign the Jack Nicklaus golf course with state-of-the-art irrigation systems and saltwater tolerant Paspalum grass. Baha Mar also built a tree farm with over 200 Casuarina and other native trees replanted from around the construction site. During the very beginning of the build, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains Picture caption of early settlers dating back to Columbus. Baha Mar continues to work with the scientists, and it has future plans to display some of the ancient pottery and other artifacts for visiting guests and groups to learn about. Community programs designed to bring group attendees closer to local Bahamian culture are a priority here. In December, Baha Mar named resident artist John Cox as the Creative Arts Director for the $3.5 billion resort. Mr. Cox will oversee the ﬁne art gallery housing the largest collection of Bahamian art in the country, as well as works on loan from the National Art Gallery. "Baha Mar is essentially a curator of meaningful experiences," says Denise Godreau, chief marketing ofﬁcer. "Art is a universal language that allows us to redeﬁne luxury in The Bahamas in an unexpected and authentic way." For offsite activities and events, Baha Mar is partnering with Ardastra Gardens & Conservation Center, The Retreat Garden National Trust and Nassau Botanical Gardens. The conference service managers are creating educational tours for visiting groups, as well as arranging event locales for everything from small receptions to gala parties along "The Bahamian Riviera." bahamar.com; bahamas.com "Art is a universal language that allows us to redefine luxury in The Bahamas in an unexpected and authentic way" 14 | prevue magazine 14-15_GoodBiz-Online.indd 14 1/8/14 11:02 AM http://www.bahamar.com http://www.bahamas.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue January-February 2014

Planner's Pick: Boston
Fresh Meets: Hyatt All-Inclusive
Bureau Buzz: Branson
Good Business: Baha Mar, Bahamas
Sea Shores: Celebrity Cruises
The Art of Roi
Corporate Retreats
Scotland
Florida Special Section
On Location: La Cantera, San Antonio
Convention Centers
On Location: Edgewater, Seatle
On Location: RIU Rivera Maya
On Location: Secrets Vallarta Bay, Mexico
Colombia
Check Out: Hilton Bomonti, Istanbul

Prevue January-February 2014