The Island's winter temperature should be marketed as a selling point to the North American tourist market, according to the new general manager of the island's oldest hotel.

Ian Powell took over The Fairmont Hamilton Princess just five months ago, but he has spent the past 27 years with the Fairmont Group, most recently in Victoria, British Columbia.

On Friday, when most islanders shivered in winter coats and gloves, he proudly showed off his appreciation for the climate in a pair of green Bermuda shorts. "For the average northeast American this isn't cold so the off-season is a perfect time to come here and play golf," he said. "One thing I would ask Bermudans to do when they talk to Americans - stop saying its cold because if you tell an American it is cold they don't know your definition of cold is 50 degrees. They think your definition of cold is minus ten."

Temperature is just one of "two t's" that Mr. Powel thinks should be trumpeted to the North American market. The other is time. "We are really close [to North America and we have got to flog it, we have to sell the proximity. You know in New York, most people don't even realise it [is so close," he said.

He adds Bermuda must also promote the things that make her more attractive than competitors such as those in the Caribbean.

"We do have some edges that we should make sure we sell very strongly. You won't see outside on my grounds, guards and fences as you will in some of our Caribbean neighbours. That is worth a price to many US customers."

Access at an affordable rate is, however, key to any tourist location. While flights are on the increase when compared to five years ago, Mr. Powell was not over impressed.

"But there is not more access than there was 15 years ago".

"We have to get back towards it and it won't be an easy ride because there is competition for planes going to different destinations and if we can't fill them they will go somewhere else. Access is the big thing so I can see why the Minister of Tourism concentrates on that because he can market all you like, but if you can't get them here you are wasting your money."

Mr. Powell spoke with The Royal Gazette as his hotel marked its 120th year in business. Opened on January 1, 1885, the Fairmont Hamilton Princess is the oldest property held by the Toronto-based luxury hotel owner.

Of course, the Hamilton hotel and her sister property in Southampton did not always fall under that brand.

Harley Trott, head of Trott & Cox, the steamship agents and purveyors of meat for the British military, issued the prospectus to build the resort hotel to attract affluent Americans, who would summer in the Berkshires and winter in Bermuda. Her name honours Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, who called the Island "a place of eternal spring" after she wintered here in 1883.

The resort hotel served as headquarters for 1,200 British censorship personnel between 1940-45 and was later purchased by Billy Butlin in 1947 and sold 15 years later to American tanker billionaire Daniel Ludwig.

He opened her sister hotel the Southampton Princess in 1969, but sold out to Lornho in the early 80s. Canadian Pacific Hotels - which became the parent company of the Fairmont a year later - bought the Hamilton and Southampton sisters in 1998.

Beyond changing hands, Mr. Powell said that the hotel had transformed greatly over the years.

From opening with 70 rooms equipped with gas lights, hot and cold and saltwater baths and a five-foot mirror, she now boasts a spa as well as meeting rooms and 410 guest rooms, most of which have just been renovated. She has also experienced a "total change in who she is".

Mr. Powell said: "This was built as a resort, no ifs, ands or buts because that is all that Bermuda was for people coming here. Part of her resurgence, even during the time when things haven't' been going very well for some of the hotel stock, is that in these last 10-15 years there has been this growth of this international business."

Now, except on weekends and in the summer months, she is a corporate hotel with two-thirds of her clientele on business trips.

"The Fairmont Gold, hotel within a hotel concept, has a private lounge which is quite large and you can hear meetings going on where there are English accents and American accents as the reinsurance world, which is surrounding us in the various buildings around here, meets to discuss their various things so she is now back at the centre of it in this Bermudian life. She has a totally different role than was ever envisaged when she was built, but she is still back in the centre," Mr. Powell said adding that "Wow" is the word that springs to his mind when he realises she is still a successful hotel after 120 years of business.

"If you look at the architecture in the Adam Room (Fairmont Gold lounge) and will see no artisan has done that in the last 100 years. That is the sort of stuff you think wow and it is not that it is a palace or a museum. It is an operating building that functions 24/7 and it is still going and it is still a viable entity. This hotel, at this stage in the game with her corporate business, makes sense 120 years later. That is saying something. Not too many businesses last 120 years."