The Bermudiana Beach Resort will be run by a management company as well as a major hotel brand.

MacLellan & Associates, the developer, told The Royal Gazette that Trust Hospitality has been chosen as the management company for the former Grand Atlantic site.

The major hotel brand has only just been selected and is expected to be unveiled in the next couple of weeks. Construction work on the South Shore site is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015.

Robert MacLellan, the chief executive officer of MacLellan & Associates, said the construction work would create about 50 jobs, while the new hotel would employ up to 60 full-time staff.

“The management company’s operations and marketing expertise will be supplemented by a reservations and marketing services contract with a major international hotel group,” he said.

“This agreement is not unusual in the US and it will enable the Bermudiana Beach Resort to be marketed by international sales offices and via over 5,000 group hotels around the world.

“We are happy with the progress that has been made and look forward to announcing the name of the major hotel brand we will be working with soon.

“Our hope is still to begin work in the first quarter of 2015 and our focus will be on stretching the holiday season beyond the traditional summer period.”

Trust Hospitality has a 25-year track record in the hotel industry and manages properties in North America, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe.

“Trust Hospitality’s efficient management along with a strong boutique hotel brand is an ideal combination for Bermuda’s tourism market today,” Michael Register, Trust Hospitality’s development vice-president, said.

“It allows a distinct connection with local landscapes, designs and culture, which standardised hotel brands cannot replicate, but it is supported by a powerful international marketing machine to drive business year-round.”

MacLellan & Associates is finalising the financing structure for the major design changes and amenities planned for the South Shore site.

The new development will include 100 hotel suites in the existing structures as well as a bar, restaurant, spa, swimming pool and an elevator to the beach.

“We were very pleased with the way the property stood up to Tropical Storm Fay and also Hurricane Gonzalo,” Mr MacLellan said.

“It sustained no structural damage and the only area of cliff face to be affected was farther down in the Southlands area.

He added: “The opportunity to create an economically sustainable new tourism model, which can attract external investment, is exciting because the physical structure of the buildings already exists and Bermuda urgently needs new fresh hotel inventory.

“It is anticipated that the condos will be sold as vacation homes, but, when owners are not in residence, the design allows the units to be rented as hotel suites and rooms.

“This is a completely unique real estate product for the Bermuda market, combining a vacation home with an attractive income stream.”