Guests will return to the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club on Friday, five months after the resort ceased normal operations because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A raft of safety measures were introduced to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus and it is hoped that a special rate for residents will attract people who live on the island.

Tim Morrison, the general manager, said: “We are extremely pleased to officially welcome guests back to Hamilton Princess & Beach Club on the 28th of August and we hope to see many locals taking the opportunity to staycation with us.

“The hotel’s top priority remains the safety, care and wellbeing of our Hamilton Princess family and our guests.

“Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are.” Mr Morrison added: “The global pandemic of Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on our industry, our island and our team members.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of our colleagues during this difficult time. I know that we all look forward to getting back to work and demonstrating our famous hospitality and world-class service to all those who stay with us.”

Staff were trained in new procedures after the introduction of health and safety protocols developed with the hotel’s parent company Accor and in line with Bermuda Government guidelines.

A spokeswoman explained: “Some of these measures include temperature checks for everyone entering the property, masks required throughout indoor public spaces and limited numbers of guests in elevators.

“Each guest room will be provided with a wellness kit including masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and disinfecting wipes.

“Hand sanitiser stations have also been placed in key areas throughout the hotel for convenience.”

She added that bedrooms and common areas will be cleaned by “specially trained, professional housekeepers” with US Environmental Protection Agency-registered disinfectants “that have proven effective in preventing the transmission of all viruses and pathogens, including Covid-19, in accordance with local health guidelines”.

The spokeswoman said: “As an additional precaution, guest rooms will be deep cleaned and left vacant for a minimum of 48 hours after each stay.”

She added: “To provide extra peace of mind for visitors, Hamilton Princess, through Accor, is utilising an innovative new service in partnership with AXA, a world leader in insurance and assistance, to provide complimentary medical support to in-house guests.

“This means that any guest with a non-urgent medical need can be put in touch with a medical practitioner over the phone for no cost.

“Currently available in English and French, the service will be available in German, Portuguese and Spanish by the end of the year.”

To celebrate the return of guests, the resort is offering two special rates for residents during the month of September, which can be booked from tomorrow.

Rates start from $229 a night for a Fairmont King Room, which includes a $50 per stay credit in the resort’s restaurants.

A special spa offer starts at $269 a night and provides guests with $100 credit to use on any treatment at Exhale Spa during their visit.

The spokeswoman explained that dining options included 1609, Crown & Anchor and The Duchess Cafe and Gelateria but that the Gold Lounge and Marcus’ were closed.

To make a reservation visit www.TheHamiltonPrincess.com or call 298-3000. For the locals’ rate, quote the code: PLOC.