Sonesta Beach Hotel's announcement it would close for 31 months this winter.

The closure -- for a $5.3 million renovation -- will coincide with a two-month shutdown at Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort.

Together the hotels will take more than 800 rooms out of business at a time when the airline industry is scrutinising the value of maintaining links to the Island.

But Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge last night said other properties would pick up business lost by the two properties.

"Marriott and Sonesta are the only two scheduled to close,'' he said. "Any momentum we generate will be taken care of by existing properties.'' Sonesta president Mr. David Boyd also suggested the Island's industry would not suffer from the shutdowns.

"I don't think the loss of our inventory of rooms is going to create a situation where people will not be able to find a place to stay in Bermuda this winter,'' he said.

Sonesta -- which is shutting down for the third consecutive winter -- will be closed from December 1 to March 18. Marriott's closure dates are December 1 to February 5.

Yesterday's announcement was made to the hotel's 360 employees by Mr. Boyd.

He told them the hotel would try to do all it could to hire staff for unskilled renovation work.

"There is a lot of stuff that doesn't have to go to skilled trades people,'' he said.

"So we're trying to offer part-time employment to as many Bermudians as we can. They have first priority on the jobs available.'' Mr. Boyd said there was some concern expressed by the workers "about their own personal ability to survive the winter''.

"I think they see the need (for the work). They just have to trust us. There were no hysterics. This is a seasoned professional staff.'' Sonesta's renovation plans include installation of sprinklers in all guest rooms, complete redecoration of the 86 rooms on the sixth floor, installation of climate control in 106 rooms, redecoration of all corridors and stairwells, a new pool deck and "revamping'' of restaurants and kitchens.

The hotel also plans to install a new boiler room which involves the removal of equipment that supplies "all heating, lighting and power to this hotel,'' Mr. Boyd said.

The work was unavoidable, he said. The 31-year-old South Shore hotel building was beginning to show the price of "massive exposure'' to salt sea air.

Rusting reinforcing rods had "exploded'', splitting concrete encasings.

"We are close to being unsafe,'' he said. "This is a very big job. There is no way that the hotel could stay open. This (work) is not a smokescreen.'' Mr. Woolridge said he had met with Mr. Boyd and Mr. Paul Sonnabend, the top official at Sonesta Hotels International and was "satisfied the changes, renovations and improvements are necessary''.

"They will also ensure that the hotel will become a better place physically and enhance the Island as a destination,'' he said.

Mr. Boyd said Sonesta was busy sending its already-booked winter business to other Bermuda hotels. He said Sonesta's bookings consisted mostly of group business.

Sonesta's announcement took place as the Finance Ministry released figures showing airport visitor arrivals down for fourth straight week compared to the same period last year.

Total people passing through the airport during the week ending on Sunday were 11.9 percent below the same week in 1991.