Second time opening is delayed
The lavish $3.5 billion Baha Mar casino resort, scheduled to host a soft opening last week, pulled the plug on that event, saying the 405-hectare (1,000-acre) resort isn’t ready for public inspection. It’s the second delay in the opening of the resort.
According to the Miami Herald, the company blames its Chinese partners and Chinese workforce for the delay.
In a statement, Baha Mar said the lead contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corp. “has not completed the work with an attention to detail consistent with Baha Mar standards of excellence.” That prompted a flood of online complaints from guests who had planned to travel in for the festivities. Among them was Californian Lisa Katz Grossman, who wrote, “Totally unacceptable how you kept this info from everyone and only us who happened to ‘like you’ on Facebook happen to stumble upon it.”
“Thank you, Baha Mar, for nothing but a letdown,” added Leana Velissarios. “Instead of ads on TV and NYC cabs, you should’ve spent $$$ getting the place ready.”
The grand opening was set for May, and now that timeline is also uncertain. The resort’s Facebook page said, “We will not open our doors until we are positive that we can deliver the best experience our guests deserve.”
Baha Mar was originally scheduled to open in mid-December to take advantage of holiday vacationers. That too was postponed, seemingly for similar reasons. At the time, Robert Sands, a senior vice president, said the opening was postponed so Baha Mar could “provide a full luxurious experience.”
Some 4,100 Chinese laborers are working on the project, which is being financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and China State.
China State Construction refuted statements by the developer, telling the Nassau Guardian they are “wholly inappropriate and inconsistent with the history of this project.”
The resort has been described as the most expensive project ever in the Bahamas. It includes hotels, 40 restaurants and clubs, and a golf course along with the Caribbean’s biggest casino.
