Bacardi Limited has defended the use of night-time floodlights at its Hamilton headquarters as a safety precaution.

In yesterday’s Letters page, holidaymaker Richard Little labelled the spirits company “rather bad nextdoor neighbours” after he stayed at the adjacent Rosedon Hotel on Pitts Bay Road.

“All night, (Bacardi) turn night into day with a number of large floodlights that come on each evening,” said Mr Little, from Trowbridge in the southwest of England.

“The hotel has had to put up expensive curtains to the windows to block the light out to enable guests to have a good night’s sleep.”

Mr Little added that, on a previous visit to Bermuda, he had spoken to the site’s property manager and suggested Bacardi Limited instal motion detectors, thereby only triggering the lights when an intruder entered the premises.

“He agreed it would save some thousands of dollars in the electricity bill.

“It really is a waste of electricity,” he added.

“Unfortunately nothing has been done. I hope this letter may prompt them to have another look at the problem.”

Philip Troake, office manager at Bacardi Limited, said that this was the first complaint of its kind he had heard in his ten years with the company.

“Employees and guests leave our global corporate headquarters quite late at night. The security lights are there specifically for the safety of our employees and visitors,” he added.

“The lighting of our building has been cited by local crime-prevention and community members as being a deterrent to possible negative activities in the area.

“We believe our current approach is prudent, but will review the situation again with our security company.

“However, the safety of our employees is paramount.”