More details about a proposed new hotel located immediately east of the Bermudiana Beach Resort have been submitted to the Department of Planning.

The application, submitted by OBM on behalf of George Grundmuellar, who is listed as the applicant, seeks in-principal approval for a large retail building in addition to a hotel and amenities overlooking the coastline.

Documents within the application state that the hotel and the retail development would have a “symbiotic relationship” and give guests at nearby hotels easy access to groceries.

“The proposed branded hotel units (brand has not been selected at this time) are designed as condo hotel like the Bermudiana Beach Resort to the west and the Azura Resort to the east,” planning documents stated.

“All together the three sites will have a total of 291 keys with a potential of +582 guests during the peak of the season.

“The significant difference of condo hotels and traditional guest room hotels are the inclusion of kitchens and washer/dryers in the condo hotel units and the ability of the occupants to independently shop for family summer vacation supplies.

“Currently there is no easy means of procuring these supplies nearby without summoning a taxi, rental scooter or ‘Twizzy’.

“A retail outlet embedded between the three resort properties with easy walking paths between, now allows for the vacationers a quick and convenient means so stock up on vacation supplies while on island.”

Plans for the project, on South Shore, show the retail building to the east of the former Warwick gas station with the 56-unit residential hotel and amenities located to the south of the former gas station.

The parking area for the retail building is proposed to be built on the far west end of the property, adjacent to the Bermudiana Beach Resort.

Meanwhile parking for the hotel – along with a two tennis/pickleball courts – will be sandwiched between the hotel building and the former gas station.

The hotel’s main pool will be built between the hotel and the south shore, along with a beach bar and beach shower facilities and an events area.

The hotel itself would contain a bar and dining area, along with a health club and four floors of guest accommodations including 28 three bedroom units, 22 two bedroom units and six single bedroom units.

A traffic impact statement, dated September 2021, stated that the retail development portion of the property would consist of a supermarket with “a range of departments including the sale of pre-prepared food for guests in nearby hotels”.

The six acre property was once part of the Golden Hind resort, but has more recently been used as a location for processing Bermuda stone into sand.

In 2007, the Government granted a special development order for the site with the goal of creating the Grand Atlantic Resort and Residences, which would feature a nine-storey, 220-room hotel.

However in the subsequent years the plans were modified to a six-storey, 100-room hotel alongside 125 affordable homes.

A total of 78 affordable housing units were built on the western section of the site, but the Bermuda Housing Corporation decided against moving forward with the remaining 47 after only two of the first 78 were sold.

The Government later announced plans to turn the 78 units that had been built into a condominium hotel renamed the Bermudiana Beach Resort.

Work to convert the property is under way, with the resort expected to open this year.