A “full update” on the Fairmont Southampton renovation will be made in the coming weeks, according to a consultant with direct knowledge of the project.

The vow comes amid shifting timelines and vague promises about when the refurbishment will begin, which affects when the hotel is expected to reopen.

Cheryl Jones, an independent consultant to Westend Properties and Gencom — a Miami-based investment firm of which Westend Properties is an affiliate — said that progress continued.

An update from November 2022 on the hotel’s website informed readers that substantial pre-construction work was complete and it was anticipated that construction would start “later this year”.

Westend Properties said in an advertisement published in February that renovations were “moving forward” and construction was “due to begin in the next quarter”.

The Royal Gazette asked last week if any substantive renovation was started and, if so, the extent as well as any commencement date if the improvements were not yet under way.

Information was also sought on when the hotel was realistically expected to reopen.

Ms Jones, who is listed on LinkedIn as a senior adviser to Gencom, replied on Friday: “At this time, our only comment is that progress is being made and we look forward to sharing a full update in the coming weeks.”

The earlier-than-expected closure of the Fairmont Southampton hotel in 2020 for renovations resulted in redundancies for more than 700 people.

A letter dated April 5, 2023 — supporting a request by Westend Properties for in-principle approval to develop up to 261 tourism and residential units at the resort — said that the hotel was "in need of comprehensive rehabilitation“.

It added: “This process has been commenced with building permits having been obtained for various aspects of the work.

“Renovations to the hotel include restoration and repairs to the hotel structure, major upgrades to guest rooms and public areas as well as repair and renewal of plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems.

“Prior to closing, the hotel accounted for 25 per cent of Bermuda’s hotel inventory, 31 per cent of its hospitality industry’s workforce and 35 per cent of all air visitors to the island who stay in hotels or similar.

“These renovations will convert the Fairmont Southampton into a world-class hotel and restore and increase this missing inventory.”

The letter said: “The complete package of hotel renovations, facilities upgrades, increased hotel inventory and tourism/residential units available for purchase will send a clear message to the international tourism market that Bermuda is open for business.

“The proposed works are due to commence in Q2 this year and are expected to be completed in Q4 2024.”

David Burt, the Premier, said in February that two critical timelines being worked towards were for “commencement of construction in the second quarter of this year and opening of the hotel in 2024”.

The Gazette e-mailed questions about the timeline of the development to a spokeswoman for the Premier last month but she declined to give an official response.

Labourers and tradespeople were earlier invited to a jobs fair at the Fairmont Southampton so that expressions of interest could be made for opportunities arising out of the hotel renovation project.

The event was organised by a number of organisations with the expectation that names would be recorded in the Department of Workforce Development’s database.

A spokeswoman for the fair said in May that workers would “subsequently be contacted for job opportunities at the appropriate time as job opportunities arise”.

In the first hour of the event, which ran over two days last month, dozens of people met companies that will be involved in the renovations.

The Gazette‘s request to the resort’s owners last week also asked about the jobs fair and how many Bermudians were signed up to the project as a result, but no answers were given in the response provided.

A separate query in the same e-mail sought any update on the application for a special development order that could approve, in principle, the additional tourism and residential units.

Members of the public and interested organisations had until May 29 to submit feedback on the proposals, which drew a mixed response.

The Bermuda Industrial Union and Sir John Swan, a former premier, highlighted the national importance of getting the resort back in business.

Skyport and an array of prominent business figures have also underscored the importance of the hotel, Bermuda’s largest, to reopen and boost the island’s airlift as well as overall hotel capacity.

However, protesters against the scale of the SDO handed over a petition with more than 4,000 signatures at the Cabinet grounds, urging a rethink of the development plan.