The jokes and the wine were flowing once again at Lantana yesterday afternoon as ground was broken in the first phase of the resort?s regeneration.

The resort, which was closed in 1998 leaving behind it a legacy of quality local service, will be re-opened as a one-of-a-kind corporate/spa centre ? a ?wellness centre? with a holistic approach to health, including spa treatments and health education.

Yesterday members of the Lantana Resort Ltd., investors, and a veritable who?s who of Bermuda governance attended the official groundbreaking on the croquet lawn.

Even some of the original developers of the site ? including John Young, who developed Lantana in the 1940s ? were present.

Jovially donning hard hats and taking shovels to the ground, Lantana principles were joined by a significant proportion of Cabinet as well as Governor Sir John Vereker in their efforts.

?We plan to turn Lantana into the top destination in Bermuda,? Lantana Resort Ltd. vice-chairman David Wilk said.

The ambitious plan appeared to have full Government backing behind it.

Both the undeniable quality of the venue and the tireless efforts of members of Lantana Resort Ltd. would combine to make the resort?s future a success, the Governor said ? catapulting Bermuda to the top of the tourism market, a place that both he and Premier Alex Scott ?have agreed many times is a place Bermuda should occupy ... and no-one else should?.

?Bermuda for too long sat still, didn?t keep up with the rest of the world,? Tourism Minister and Deputy Premier Ewart Brown noted.

Developments such as the one planned at Lantana, however, are precisely the challenge that Government hoped developers would take up ? a development which will undoubtedly inject the prescribed ?pop and sizzle? into Bermuda tourism.

Dr. Brown ? whose battles with taxi drivers have dominated news since he became a Minister ? said residents are looking forward to its completion adding with a chuckle that taxi drivers are looking forward to the opening as well.

?The Lantana group certainly are to be congratulated,? Premier Alex Scott told . ?Properties like this will lead us back to the top ? particularly with repeat business.?

One of the investors had just told him this was her 60th visit to Bermuda, he added. ?That?s the kind of business that will make Bermuda?s tourism a solid contributor.?

Barring any unforeseen obstacles, the first phase ? involving 14 waterfront hotel suites and six private condos ? should be up and running by fall 2005. The remainder of the development (a total of 40 hotel suites and 28 private condos) is hoped to be open for business by early 2007.

The private residences ? which are all sold already ? must be leased back to the hotel for six months of the year, though many are being leased back for ten or eleven months of the year.

The resort will be unique, Mr. Wilk said. Visitors can simply relax on the beach, or they can avail themselves of the 25,000 square foot spa and product line developed especially for Lantana.

They can also enrol in wellness and education programmes on a range of topics stretching from public speaking to sports/life coaches, or avail themselves of the medical component ? ?non-invasive? procedures such as Botox, for example.

The cutting edge spa will also feature a convention centre ? and should tired business men and women feel the need to avail themselves of the health benefits Lantana will have to offer, all the better, the principles said.

Perhaps most importantly to the new outlook for tourism in 2005, the resort ? since plans were first announced in 2001 ? has been expected to up tourism during the golf and spa season.

The co-operation Lantana has received from Government has been ?phenomenal?, Mr. Wilk said. ?It?s been very, very enjoyable.?