A beach club planned for the former Sonesta Beach Hotel could open next spring, the Green family announced today.

The Princess Beach Club will be for the exclusive use of guests of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and would be on the coast of Sinky Bay, one of three beaches on the Sonesta property on South Shore.

“We are pleased to be moving forward with the development of our beach club facility,” said Alexander Green, on behalf of the family. “Beach facilities are a popular amenity for international travellers and we are excited to add this option for our guests.

“We are delighted to be able to provide our hotel guests with access to a stunning beachside location, which we believe is one of Bermuda’s best assets. We are still looking at doing further developments for the property down the line but these new plans allow us to get the Princess Beach Club up and running by next summer.”

The Green family sought and received planning approval to erect a four-storey beach club on the edge of neighbouring Boat Bay. Since then, buildings on the side have been demolished and landscaping work on the property has begun.

A spokeswoman for the family said the original plan for a beach club at Boat Bay had been set back for potential use in the future.

The new plans have yet to receive planning permission, but include an open-air pavilion on the beach. Six small cabanas with space for up to four people each would also be available for rent.

Food and beverages will be available through waiter service for guests on the beach, under the pavilion or from their private cabana. According to the application, the project will employ the use of five mobile modules to serve as kitchen, bar and washroom facilities. All are being built so they can be moved quickly in the event of poor weather.

The Green Family, who own the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, purchased the South Shore property last March for a reported $10.5 million.

The 32-acre property had previously been the home to the Sonesta Beach Resort and later the Wyndham Bermuda Resort and Spa, which closed its doors in 2006.

The site was purchased in 2007 by Scout Real Estate with the intention of erecting a new five-star resort, but those plans fell apart after the main financier for the $200 million project, US investment bank Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008.