Bid to revamp 'decaying' facilities at Horseshoe Bay

A new beach bar and restaurant would regenerate Horseshoe Bay and make it “the jewel in the crown of tourism”.

Plans are being drawn up to breathe new life into the “out-dated and decaying” facilities at the island’s most popular beach.

The property’s leaseholders want to build a state-of-the-art facility that would attract people to the beach day and night. The plans include a raised outside bar area with views across the beach.

The centrepiece would be a circular bar surrounded by water and there would also be a drinks service on the beach.

But the leaseholders say they cannot plough ahead with their plans without help from Government, who own the building.

Modernise

Phil Perinchief, spokesman for the leaseholders, said: “We want a facility more in touch with modern Bermuda.

“We want Horseshoe Bay to be a jewel in the crown of tourism.

“We plan to demolish the main building and replace it with a more up-to-date building. We also want to extend and modernise the patio area and put in an outside bar.

“We are going to bring it into the 21st century but we don’t want a Miami or Monaco feel.

“We want to keep the Bermuda flavour and accommodate the droves.”

The business currently includes a fast-food counter with outdoor seating, bathrooms with showers, a gift shop, beach rentals, an ice-cream counter and a portable bar selling water, beer and cocktails.

But architects are currently drawing up plans to extend and raise the outdoor seating area.

The trees would be cut back to give a view over the beach.

The focal point would be an outside circular bar surrounded by water so people can cool down while having a drink.

Plans are also in place to add a portable beach bar, which will be put out and packed away each day so it does not impact on the environment.

Staff would also “work the beach” taking orders and delivering drinks to sun worshippers.

There could also be occasional live entertainment by Bermudian artists.

Mr. Perinchief, a former Attorney General, said the current building was inadequate to cope with up to 2,000 visitors a day.

He said: “What we have is vintage building built to have a capacity of a third of those who patronise it today. It’s ludicrous to believe a facility of fixed services should accommodate so many people without its problems. The plumbing, piping and sewerage system aren’t as good as they should be but all these things belong to the landlord.”

Mr. Perinchief said there was “even more pressure than usual” on the facilities when events such as Moonlight Movies and BeachFest were held at Horseshoe Bay.

He added the tenants had spent “astronomical amounts” on trying to repair the facilities, particularly the showers.

But he said it was now up to the Government to show their support.

Mr. Perinchief said: “We’d like to re-do the facility but the onus is on the owner.

“We’d really like Government to help with our plans. We want to raise standards but can’t do it alone.

Proposal

“We have lots of plans and will sit down with the landlord to discuss them.

“We want to make some headway during the off-season.”

The proposal comes after plans for a bar and restaurant at Warwick Long Bay were turned down following opposition from residents and environmental groups such as BEST.

But Mr. Perinchief insists there is already a structure in place and there would be no environmental damage to the area.

The Horseshoe Bay facility has been run by Mikel ‘Mike’ Caines and his family for about six years.

About 15 staff work at the business from May to October.

Premier and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown did not respond to our calls for comment, nor did anyone else from the Department of Tourism.

A letter writer’s complaint about the condition of Horseshoe Bay’s facilities was “driven by malice” and had no basis in fact, according to Phil Perinchief, spokesman for the leaseholders.

The letter sparked debate on the radio talk shows and was touched upon by the Premier during a TV interview in which he expressed his desire to see a major facelift at the site. 

The letter, written by a frequent visitor to the island and published last month in The Royal Gazette, claimed the beach house was “filthy and in disrepair” with “unsanitary bathrooms” and showers out of order.

Mr. Perinchief said he was “very surprised” to see the letter.

The leaseholders tried to contact the letter writer directly and now believe “the complaint was unfounded and down to malice”.

Mr. Perinchief added: “We are always interested to hear what people say about the business. As long as complaints are based on truth and facts we will follow them up.

“If someone has a complaint, make it known and we will fix it.”

Mr. Perinchief, who visits the property every couple of weeks, said sand had never blocked up the pipes for any extended period of time.

A janitor works hard to keep the property in good condition, he added, and inspectors from the health and safety department carry our weekly inspections.

The Bermuda Sun visited the premises on a Wednesday afternoon when the beach was full of cruise ship passengers.

Everything was clean and tidy and beachgoers agreed that the standards were “just fine”.

Facility manager Mikel Caines said: “Our standards speak for themselves. Come down and see for yourself.”