Flashy Bahamas resort opens, 11 years after its launch

New York

THE Bahamas resort Baha Mar has taken more than 10 years to open, but on April 21, the US$4.2 billion, 405-hectare development on a 0.8-kilometre beachfront in Nassau finally debuted - at least, in part.

Baha Mar comprises three hotel brands - Grand Hyatt, SLS Hotels and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts - for a total of 2,300 rooms.

Grand Hyatt, with 1,800 rooms, is the largest, and, with nightly rates in the mid-US$300 range, it's also the most affordable. The 300-room SLS, with starting rates at upward of US$500 a night, will open later this year, and the 200-room Rosewood, the most upscale of the three with room prices from US$700, is planning to open next spring.

But accommodations are only one component of Baha Mar. The project also includes a 9,290-square metre casino; 30 luxury retailers; a golf course; 11 swimming pools; and a sp…