receiving the "shock of their lives'' at the Daniel's Head Village Resort.

Within hours of their arrival in Bermuda and at the new resort which features specially built tent houses, they were looking to return home.

But with some luck they are now staying at the Sonesta Beach Hotel for the next three weeks and have strong words for the resort's owners.

"It's mind boggling,'' Dr. Waltz said yesterday. "I can speak from first hand knowledge that I think their return business is going to be zero. Nobody would ever go back there.

"The language of their brochure they are using implies that everything is complete and ready,'' the Cleveland, Ohio medical doctor continued. "That is not the case at all.

"Our experience with Bermuda began as a disaster at the Daniel's Head eco-resort but we're recovering nicely at the Sonesta. These people know tourists and the tourism industry. They've delivered.'' Dr. Waltz said he read about the resort in a magazine, which he believes to have been Conde Nast Traveler, and immediately booked a room for three weeks, bypassing his own travel agent.

Descriptives such as "in sync with nature'', spectacular and spacious rooms'', and "artfully placed tent cottages'' enticed the couple to Bermuda.

But Dr. Waltz, who called the grounds of the resort a "disaster'' and "not so idyllic'', was horrified that concrete spillage had been allowed to dry and wondered what would happen in a hurricane.

"What we found on Wednesday was essentially a construction site,'' he explained. "Chainsaws were going, large machinery was running, and compressors were operating, and building materials were dumped around the place.

"It looks like somebody just ran a bulldozer over it to flatten it out and removed all the vegetation. Then all they've done is put a series of cottages around the perimeter.'' Dr. Waltz added: "It looked like a trailer park in a desert. There is nothing artful about it. It is a disaster.

"They haven't even taken the time to clean up the cement spills. It was one of the most aesthetically unpleasant experiences I have ever had.'' Dr. Waltz said he did not blame staff "one bit'', adding they appeared to be embarrassed.

"I told one manager, Mr. (Richard) Quinn, who was very upset, `You seem like a very nice man, my complaint is with the owner and whoever set this up,'' he added. "I can't imagine how approval of this place was established.

"With the first big storm or hurricane there will be nothing left,'' Dr.

Waltz said. "It's much like building on the San Andreas earthquake fault.

It's mind boggling. Those tents were unbelievably hot. No air conditioning, only ceiling fans.'' As he began his vacation in earnest, Dr. Waltz had this parting shot: "I suggest to you to find out who are the owners and investors in this.

"Find out who wrote the magazine article, who insured it and who are the lawyers,'' he added.

Efforts to contact Mr. Quinn, the general manager, for a response last night were unsuccessful.