One of the masked robbers of White Sands & Cottages in Paget carried a handgun, Police were told.

The other two carried a butcher's knife and a metal pipe. They fled with an undisclosed sum of cash.

It was the latest incident in an Island crime wave that has alarmed tourism officials.

Yesterday, the wife of the hotel's assistant manager told The Royal Gazette how she found her husband bound and bleeding at White Sands shortly after 11 p.m.

For a moment, "I thought maybe one of the machines had gone haywire,'' she said. "It was inconceivable that someone would have come in and attacked him.'' The 38-year-old Canadian was kicked repeatedly in the head and body as the thieves demanded money, his 22-year-old Bermudian wife said.

Unable to immediately remember the combination that would unlock the safe, he finally told them: "Do you want the money or do you want to kill me?'' she said.

"If you kill me, you're not going to get the money.'' Once he got the safe open, the robbers used wire to tie his hands and feet and fled through a window, leaving coins and other items strewn around the hotel office, she said. The robbery lasted about ten minutes.

After treatment at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the man rested at home yesterday with cuts to his head and hand, a bruised eye, and a possible fractured cheekbone.

"He's in a lot of pain, but it could have been a lot worse,'' she said.

"It's shocking,'' the woman said of the rise in violent crime in Bermuda.

"It didn't used to be this way. It's becoming sort of like a nightmare.'' In recent days, a group of four visitors was robbed at gunpoint near the Southampton Princess Hotel and a woman was violently robbed at the Hamilton Princess. There has also been a recent spate of violent attacks on Police.

Officers were investigating the latest robbery yesterday, but no arrests had been made.

There was no definite link between the White Sands robbery and earlier incidents, but it was not ruled out, a spokesman said.

In a prepared statement, Bermuda Hotel Association executive vice president Mr. John Harvey said the BHA "deplore the recent attacks, and will assist the Police Service in whatever way is deemed necessary to bring the culprits to justice and to prevent future incidents.'' Crime would be addressed at the next BHA board meeting, Mr. Harvey said.

Mr. J. Mark Browne, manager of White Sands & Cottages, said he shared concerns Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge recently expressed about the damage violent crime did to tourism.

But otherwise, he did not want to comment on the robbery.

Also yesterday: Delegated Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman, whose responsibilities include the Police, said he would meet this week with Commissioner Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards and other top officers to discuss the crime wave and Police manpower.

Mr. Edwards recently asked Police officers to work longer shifts.

In addition, "they have opportunities right now to increase the size of the complement,'' Mr. Pearman said yesterday. "It's just a matter of them getting on with it.'' Mr. Pearman recently told the House of Assembly that a shortage of experienced officers meant overseas hiring might be required. Among other matters, "that's what we'll be discussing this week,'' Mr. Pearman said.

There were also plans to put more officers on the street by hiring civilians to perform desk jobs.