The Elegant Hotel Group which consists of 500 rooms in 5 properties on both west and south coast of Barbados are looking to bring a young and contemporary feel with their multi-million dollar upgrade. The upgrades for the five properties are set to begin in July 2010 and Howard Friedman, CEO of Elegant Hotels, believes luxury properties in Barbados have something of a reputation.
With a theme for the hotels as “barefoot elegance,” a concept that the hotel group defines as understated and unpretentious the Group will still be reaching into a wealthy market. The concept is defined by the group’s signature beach barbecues, and the champagne breakfasts at The House, a 34-room residence for adults only that offers a boutique hotel feel.
Friedman said, “Barbados is a bit stuck in its ways, the hotels in Barbados are quite nice, but the design is very colonial, very traditional, very conservative. I want to bring in a little bit of edge — a bit of South Beach without overdoing it.”
Tamarind Cove which sits on the island’s west coast will be the centre of the new vision. The oceanfront property is closing on July 1 for a four-month renovation with the aim of younger looking , and contemporary feel for the upgrade.
Vice President of Sales and Marketing of the Group Sylvia Scholey in a recent interview said, “The West Coast needs something more trendy, people are looking for something new and exciting and not mass-market. That’s been missing.”
The hotel executives believe that the new upgrades will be a concept that will set apart Tamarind from the group’s own Colony Club Hotel, a four-diamond property that has the traditional colonial feel. Scholey hopes the distinctiveness of each property will allow guests to have choices and find the property that best suites their style and needs.
The public spaces at Tamarind will have the feel of an outdoor living room, with contemporary poolside loungers, day beds and decks. The guest rooms will feature warm colors, Scholey said, “so you known you’re still in the Caribbean.” The resort also is enhancing its water sports program to take advantage of the island’s gorgeous beaches. Tamarind will offer aqua aerobics, water skiing, and an aqua school with one of the latest water sports trends, stand-up paddling.
Another change is the resort’s new spa, which guests at any of five properties may use. It fills a gap in the group’s offering, since Elegant previously did not offer any spa services. Now, guests can enjoy them inside or on the beach.
“If you don’t want to leave the beach,” Friedman said, “we will come to you.”
Crystal Cove Resort and Turtle Beach Resort, the group’s two all-inclusive resorts, also underwent rooms renovations, and management hopes to start renovations to their public spaces within the next year.
“We call it counter-cycle investment,” Scholey said. “We will come out of it stronger. We have a product we can compete with, and it’s the most contemporary product Barbados has seen in a decade.”
Friedman came out of retirement from a career at Hilton to oversee the renaissance of the hotels, particularly Tamarind.
