A marathon of press conferences kicked off Wednesday morning with what could possibly be the biggest news to come out of the show. Barcelo Bavaro Beach Hotels & Resorts announced plans for complete refurbishments of all five of its properties in Punta Cana, beginning with the Bavaro Beach Resort.
The Bavaro Beach Resort will have all of its 600 rooms upgraded to junior suites. The five-hotel complex will then add a new golf course, casino, disco and theater within the next two to four years. Preliminary work on what has been described as a project with no budget began earlier this year as rooms were assessed. "Of course we always have a budget, but this is something that will not have a limit," says Juan Marques, director general of the Bavaro Beach Resort, which first opened in 1985. "But to say we would stop at $100 million or even $200 million would be wrong. Whatever it takes, we will do." (JP)