Veteran hotelier John Jefferis is to open a new art gallery and restaurant in Paget.

Art lover Mr Jefferis has amassed a collection of 386 works, with display space in the new building able to show nearly 70 at a time.

Mr Jefferis said: “I’d always had an interest in collecting art and I thought might be nice to combine that into a gallery and started to purchase are with a view to opening a gallery.”

And he added that all the works on display would be for sale.

Mr Jefferis said the new venture, next to the Modern Mart on Paget’s South Road and close to his existing Coco Reef hotel, should be open for business soon.

He added: “We are still involved in the construction — it should be a few months at the longest. I’m still finishing off the new kitchens.”

Mr Jefferis also revealed that he was in the middle of a deal to buy another hotel in the Caribbean, where he already owns the multiple award-winning Coco Reef Tobago.

But he declined to discuss the purchase due to a confidentiality clause with the current owner of the property.

Mr Jefferis was speaking after the Tobago resort scooped the prestige World Travel award for the Caribbean’s leading hotel for the twelfth consecutive year.

He said: “It’s very pleasing — but each year has become a little worrying wondering what the results are going to be.”

World Travel Awards president and founder Graham Cooke said at the awards ceremony: “Coco Reef Tobago is a shining example of excellence in hospitality and service.

“They have more than earned this honour every year. John Jefferis is one of the pioneers of Caribbean tourism.”

Mr Jefferis said that he had final planning permission to extend the Tobago hotel with 12 new luxury villas.

He added: “There is demand — more people now want something a little more than just a room.”

Coco Reef Tobago won its latest award after beating off strong competition from 14 other hotels in the Caribbean region, including the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis, Parrot Cay by COMO in Turks & Caicos and the Sandals Emerald Bay resort in the Bahamas.

The hotel was also named Tobago’s leading resort for this year and will now go forward to the 2015 World’s Leading Hotel competition.

The World Travel Awards were set up in 1993 and were described by the Wall Street Journal as the Oscars of the travel industry.

Winners are picked by online votes from both travel professionals and tourists.

Mr Jefferis opened Coco Reef Tobago in 1996 and it currently features 140 rooms, suites and villas, a private beach and ten acres of tropical gardens.

Mr Jefferis took over the former Stonington Beach Hotel and upgraded it and rebranded it as Coco Reef Bermuda in 2004.