On Location at Sandals' Balmoral Tower Unveiling

Travel Agent was on hand Monday for Sandals Resorts' official unveiling of its renovated and renamed Balmoral Tower at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island.

After undergoing a $17 million renovation, the Balmoral Tower now features a lighter, contemporary look and even more luxury.

Sandals' Chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart told attendees that the Bahamas' constant investments, including this latest one, demonstrate that the destination continues to "fight back" despite a struggling economy.

"Instead of worrying about whether we are close to a recession, we are in a recession or we are out of a recession, the Bahamas continues to invest," he says.

The rooms and suites in the Balmoral Tower now offer travertine-style oversized rectangle tiling instead of carpet, mahogany entertainment units with a 42-inch plasma television, a bar area and refrigerator, neutral draperies with open-weave sheers, and large-scale area rugs featuring teal, charcoal and amber accents.

The renovated bathrooms include contemporary stained mahogany his-and-her vanities with Carrera marble tops, backlit mirrors, and showers that feature white beveled subway tiles with blue, cream and amber glass accent tiles. The most exciting feature is the large balconies that were added to 35 of the ocean view rooms.

An additional 11 ground-floor rooms have now become walk-out rooms, providing direct access onto the newly-finished white concrete pool deck, which incorporates local fauna and conch shells. Beachfront fire pits and an expanded lounge area complete the Balmoral Tower’s new look.

Several international and local media attended the event along with government officials and Bahamas tourism representatives.

"Sandals has made tourism in the Bahamas even more significant," says Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the Bahamas' minister of tourism and aviation. "There is no doubt that Sandals at this location has been a major benefit to Bahamas tourism."

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