Latest news with #GrandBahama
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
The Islands of the Bahamas
It's the final day in the Islands of The Bahamas with CP24 Breakfast. Today we are in Grand Bahama to learn about the majestic beach line and of 2.2 million acres of natural parks and all the nature tours offered while visiting the Bahamas. For more information visit Plus, enter to win a trip for two to the Islands of Bahamas at Warwick Hotel on Paradise Island – visit
Travel Weekly
27-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
The Grand Lucayan overhaul is a $827 million bet on cruise tourism
Betting on the increasing popularity of cruising and its influence on the Bahamian economy, a Miami-based developer will spend $827 million to transform more than half of Grand Lucayan Resort's 56-acre beachfront on Grand Bahama Island into a destination tailor-made for cruise guests. Concord Wilshire Capital signed a $120 million deal with the Bahamian government on May 15 to purchase the Freeport property. A massive redevelopment plan includes a waterpark and beach area hosting live music for passengers on all cruise lines. The project will also include a hotel, casino and golf course. Scheduled for completion in 2028, all parts of the property will be open to anyone willing to pay for access, but the waterpark area is being designed specifically to cater to the cruise customer, said Richard Bosworth, a board member of Concord Wilshire Capital's Lucayan resort and gaming platform. "When we looked at the market and we looked at what really drives the business in the Bahamas, and Grand Bahama, it is the cruise business," he said. "Cruise is a business that really is growing, and it's growing in all travel market segments. It's growing with families, it's growing with singles and it's growing with those who are looking for music and entertainment." It was for that reason that the company decided to dedicate more than half of the beachfront area to the waterpark, which cruise lines will be able to offer guests as an optional excursion package, Bosworth said. He estimates the port will be able to accommodate more than 10,000 passengers and multiple ships every day. Concord Wilshire Capital envisions that the transformed Grand Lucayan will have multiple pools. Photo Credit: Concord Wilshire Capital Private cruise destinations are very popular The decision comes with the cruise industry's significant success with private island destinations, which similarly include entertainment and food options tailor-made for ship guests looking for easy access to a variety of land experiences. Royal Caribbean Group's Perfect Day at CocoCay is the trend-setter in this category. CocoCay is Royal Caribbean International's highest-rated Caribbean destination, and Royal is building an even bigger Perfect Day in the Mexican Caribbean. In 2020, Royal Caribbean had entered into an agreement to build a cruise destination at Grand Lucayan, but the deal was later canceled. Norwegian Cruise Line is in the midst of a major upgrade to its private Bahamian island, Great Stirrup Cay, that will include the addition of a resort-style pool and a Vibe Beach Club. Disney Cruise Line opened Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on Bahamian island Eleuthera last year. And Carnival Cruise Line is opening its own private destination with waterpark on Grand Bahama, Celebration Key, in July. "With Celebration Key, we've built something really special on Grand Bahama -- and it's gratifying to see the rest of the island thrive," Carnival Corp. said in response to the Grand Lucayan plan. "The Bahamas has experienced a remarkable renaissance in its tourism economy by working closely with the cruise industry, and we hope this level of engagement and collaboration will create even more opportunities in the future." A rendering shows the revamped Grand Lucayan will have outdoor gaming tables. Photo Credit: Concord Wilshire Capital Don't think of the Grand Lucayan as a private cruise destination, Bosworth said, since it's open to all. But do think of it as having the entertainment value that cruise guests appreciate. "It's more than just getting a beach chair or a cabana by the pool," he said. "This is an experiential adventure." Cruise lines are being consulted in the planning process to gauge what features they'd like to see at Grand Lucayan, Bosworth said. The developer is envisioning multiple pools and water recreation with surrounding eateries, casino games and live music, all along the waterfront. Bosworth expects there will be sectioned areas that cater to different types of guests, such as young families and music festival enthusiasts, with live music playing a significant role in the experience. The casino, meanwhile, will be 25,000 square feet. Greg Norman is designing a golf course for the property. A new hotel will have 350 guestrooms and 120 residences or timeshares. The neighboring 12,000-foot Port Lucaya Marketplace is being acquired by Bahamaland Investments and will be integrated into the Grand Lucayan property, Concord Wilshire said. Bosworth said the marketplace will enable guests to experience the island's culture without leaving the resort. "While I'm sure the cruise lines will be offering excursions that allow their passengers to explore the Grand Bahama, we're going to have, I believe, enough at our location that will give you that experience without having necessarily to travel," he said. And while cruise lines may contribute the bulk of resort guests in the daytime, the property will be designed to draw in resort guests and others enjoying the island in the evening, as well, Bosworth said. The hotel portion of Grand Lucayan will have 350 guestrooms and 120 residential and timeshare units. Photo Credit: Concord Wilshire Capital Demolitions will take place this year, and construction will commence in the second half of 2026 for an anticipated completion in early 2028, Bosworth said. The Grand Lucayan Resort, Grand Bahama's largest resort property, opened with its first hotel in 1999. It was damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Two of the resort's three hotels, Breaker's Cay and Lanai Suites, remain closed, with the 196-room, all-inclusive Lighthouse Pointe Hotel the only hotel now in operation. It will remain open, with the redevelopment initially focusing on the rest of the property, Bosworth said.
Travel Weekly
19-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Grand Lucayan Resort will be redeveloped into a cruise destination
The Grand Lucayan Resort on Grand Bahama Island will undergo an $827 million redevelopment, following real estate investment firm Concord Wilshire Capital's $120 million purchase of the property from the Bahamian government. The acquisition, which includes the 56-acre beachfront resort and its adjacent 160-acre Reef Golf Course, was finalized on May 15. Concord Wilshire Capital said it plans to transform the Grand Lucayan Resort into a 36-acre "cruise ship destination resort" open to all cruise lines, with a capacity for 10,000 passengers per day. The project will also feature a 25,000-square-foot casino, a branded hotel complex with 350 guestrooms and 120 residential and timeshare units, a new Greg Norman-designed golf course, a water park and an 18-slip marina. Additionally, Concord Wilshire Capital is working with Bahamaland Investments to integrate several neighboring sites -- including the Port Lucaya Marina, the Grand Bahama Yacht Club and the Port Lucaya Marketplace -- into its redevelopment plan. According to Adam Petrillo, senior managing director of cruise ship resorts for Concord Wilshire Capital, construction is scheduled to start "very soon," following demolition of the current structure. He added that "the project plans to retain all of the current employees of the existing Lucayan Resort." The Grand Lucayan Resort has undergone several name changes since its debut in 1999.
