take a look at our hotels. Clearly we need new hotels, not having built a large new one for 25 years. However, set that aside for a moment and look at what we have.

It seems to us that while Bermuda has some excellent properties, both large and small, it does not have a great deal of variety. There will always be people who will revel in the excellence of Lantana, Cambridge Beaches or The Reefs, who enjoy large professional hotels like the Southampton Princess or Sonesta Beach. There are those who come to Bermuda for the individuality of Horizons or Waterloo House or those who enjoy the reasonable prices at Sky Top and Fordham Hall.

But we should not forget that our facilities are still firmly rooted in the holiday philosophies of the 1950s and 1960s and there are people today who enjoy a vacation which is more casual. We think that Bermuda should be taking a hard look at encouraging some of the hotels to develop themes.

These are resorts based entirely on diving like Bonaire. Bermuda has great wreck diving and we think there is plenty of room for an hotel catering to divers and geared to their needs. True, facilities are plentiful these days, but there are people who would come to Bermuda to do little else but dive.

There are people who want to travel with their children and that requires spacious rooms, probably a suite hotel, with facilities to feed children and with entertainment for those children. We are talking about a family oriented hotel where parents do not have to worry because the facilities are not "child proof''.

Some people like hotels where there is very little formality and where they can eat and drink in their bathing suits if they wish. Such an hotel would probably be organised around an all inclusive price and buffets and barbecues to provide a carefree atmosphere. It would need to be comfortable but would not need to be lavish. We are talking about a smart but relaxed place.

There is room for a top notch business traveller hotel close to Hamilton and geared to meet the needs of such travellers. It would have to have 24 hour business services and 24 hour room service because these days people do business around the world at all sorts of odd hours. Ask business people what they want and then meet their needs.

Hamilton used to have small central hotels but they grew old and were not replaced, the American House, the Kenwood Club, the Imperial, and it could do with a good one of those today.

Theme one hotel to Bermuda's history and concentrate on visitors who are interested in cultural tourism and looking for a local flavour. Go for character and atmosphere and get away from the standardised hotels with rooms which are much the same the world over.

What we are really suggesting is giving visitors some variety and a choice.