A woman who has been forced to scrap her 20th wedding anniversary in Bermuda because of the closure of White Sands Hotel has slammed the management and Department of Tourism for not keeping her informed.

Tara Wallace has lost a $300 deposit from her credit card on a trip she cannot take and has since taken a Caribbean cruise instead.

Mrs. Wallace told The Royal Gazette this week that eight months ago she reserved a room at White Sands for May 21 and booked a flight.

She said she only found out the hotel was in trouble in February through the Bermuda.com internet site and was told by the Department of Tourism the property in Paget was trying to secure funding from a bank.

"I was told everything was fine. Bermuda.com (thankfully) informed me White Sands had gone out of business - again not one word from the hotel and a non-working phone number to boot," she wrote in an e-mail to the website.

"I again called the Tourism director and was informed that yes, White Sands had gone out of business and the manager (Esan Frederick, who took my reservations to begin with!) would be in touch to try to find accommodations.

"It has been two weeks - I haven't heard from Esan or from anyone! I cannot find a comparable hotel that has the same deal for the same money, so I have cancelled my airfare and it ended up costing me $300 for a trip I can't even go on.

"This, unfortunately is my experience on my trip to Bermuda - planned well in advance - that never happened! I am 38-years-old and celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary.

"This is truly something to celebrate. I will be on a cruise in the Caribbean instead. I am very disappointed that no one there cared enough to try to make this trip happen and I can't even get a phone call. Not to mention the $300 it has cost me for a trip I never got to make."

Bank of N.T. Butterfield called in the receivers last month after White Sands' American owner James Dwyer failed to keep up with repayments.

Receivers Pricewaterhousecoopers are currently reviewing offers to buy the hotel from companies in Bermuda and overseas.

All the potential buyers have said they want to keep the property as a hotel and re-open it for this season.

Staff at the hotel have not been paid since December and Government has sued the hotel for non-payment of $187,291 in payroll tax, hotel occupancy tax and land tax.