STAFF?at Almond Beach Club in St James will meet prospective new owners Elite Island Resorts at a special meeting today with current owners Neal &?Massy.
President and chief executive officer of Neal &?Massy, Gervase Warner, is expected to lead the team who will meet at the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) headquarters, Solidarity House, Harmony Hall,?St Michael.
Having acquired Almond’s Morgan Bay Resort in St Lucia last year, Elite has agreed to a new partnership putting it in charge of running sales, marketing and reservations for the Almond Beach Club, setting the stage for the meeting.
At a meeting at the hotel Tuesday, BWU general secretary?Sir Roy?Trotman updated staff on plans for the takeover.
Fairweather Holding Co., which operates Elite Island Resorts, has agreed to buy the West Coast resort for $33 million, but about $30 million is going to Scotiabank to reduce Almond’s outstanding debt.
The remaining $3 million is to be used to meet the severance obligations to the hotel’s 150 workers.
Staff were told of three options: a rollover of the terms and conditions with the contracts; a new contract with Elite with severance being paid; or staff might be asked to work for one extended month before being interviewed by Elite on the possibility of being rehired.
Informed sources indicated that long-standing hotelier Nello Bynoe was being brought out of retirement to assist with the management.
Bynoe is a former executive assistant manager of Almond Resorts and assistant manager at Rockley Resort.
Director of operations, Gerry Lewis, has been chosen by the new owners to run the club in conjunction with Bynoe.
The 161-room Almond Beach Club, established in 1991, will be offering a range of deals as a result of the Elite agreement and all major tour operators are expected to have promotional offers over the next few weeks. (MK)
