ATLANTIS LOSING GROUND TO BAHAMAR

Ever since the late Sol Kerzner and his son the late Butch Kerzner parted ways with Atlantis, the nation’s once premier hotel property has been going steadily downhill.  Following the banking crash in 2008, the up to then successful property was in deep trouble.  Butch, the son, had engaged just before that in buying back the stock of the then publicly traded company and  making it a private company.  But the crash in 2008 saw a dramatic fall off in business, the  hotel could not afford to pay its bills and the mortgagees took over.  These happened to be the bean counters that now  run the place.  They have no idea how to run a hotel property, and they do not invest in it so the place has been shoddy and run down and if we are not careful the Government of The Bahamas  may have to step in to tell them shape or ship out. Nothing demonstrated the contrast in approaches and development and product than the Bahamar resort on display this week for the Caribbean conference on climate change.  Atlantis could not shine in the light of Bahamar.  Atlantis let the country down by the mistreatment of its employees during the pandemic.  Bahamar’s approach was exemplary.  We say to the Government let’s keep an eye on Atlantis before they let us down completely.