Harbour Island, BAHAMAS, September 20, 2010 – Cardinal Capital Partners CEO Gil Besing and a group of investors have acquired the Dunmore Beach Club (www.dunmorebeach.com) on exclusive Harbour Island in the Bahamas. The hotel has been renamed The Dunmore. It is currently a boutique full service hotel operation with a restaurant and bar. The Dunmore is one of only a handful of hotels located on the highly desirable beachfront on Harbour Island.
Harbour Island is located just north of Eleuthera, 50-miles from Nassau and approximately 200 miles from Miami. It is one of the oldest settlements in the Bahamas with 18th century New England-style architecture and a famous three-mile pink sand beach that extends the entire length of the island’s eastern side.
Formerly known as the Dunmore Beach Club, The Dunmore’s recent transformation will extend far beyond the name change. New owner Gil Besing has implemented a complete renovation of The Dunmore’s facilities and plans to re-establish the hotel as a preeminent luxury resort destination. The historic beachfront property was originally a quaint house converted into an inn in 1963. Today, The Dunmore consists of a beautiful clubhouse and 16 private cottages; each nestled among numerous rustling palms and flowering Hibiscus on a secluded 10-acre tropical paradise. The site is located at the crown of Harbour Island’s beachside with incomparable views of the crystal clear, aqua blue Bahamian sea.
Under the direction of celebrated Caribbean designer, Amanda Lindroth of Lindroth Design Company, the hotel will be reintroduced with all of the luxury expected of a first-class resort. Ms. Lindroth plans to maintain the classic feel of The Dunmore, while adding a more sophisticated comfort to the hotel’s tradition and charm. The interiors will feel nostalgic, but authentic, including classically-styled, custom upholstered sofas and vintage rattan chairs, grass matting on the floors, collections of shells, books and antique maps. All of the newly renovated, white cottages will include similar touches along with new superb bedding, all in crisp island-white.
Each cottage will include new patio furniture, phone systems, internet, flat-screen televisions, satellite service and HVAC systems.
The hotel’s restaurant and bar will receive a complete overhaul with the introduction of a new chef, menu and a complete upgrade to the restaurant’s furniture and finishes. The restaurant will also be open to the public (it was previously only available to the hotel’s guests).
Under the supervision of Miami-based De la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists, extensive architectural changes are being made to the clubhouse and cottages. The clubhouse is undergoing a complete renovation featuring a new bar and expanded indoor and outdoor dining areas. Construction has also commenced on the hotel’s grand new pool, fitness facility and yoga deck. Each will feature ocean views. Additional new construction on the grounds will include an arrival building at the property’s entrance and new service buildings to better facilitate the operations and necessary functions of all of the hotel’s considerable upgrades.
Furthermore, The Dunmore will incorporate an exclusive residential component with 6 private beachfront and ocean view homes on the property. The exclusive private residences will be contiguous to the hotel, but accessed through a private entrance. The residence owners will have access to all hotel services and amenities. De la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists will also oversee residential design.
The newly renovated hotel will reopen at the end of November 2010. Residential sales have already commenced.
About Gil Besing
Gil Besing is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cardinal Capital Partners, Inc., a national commercial property investor based in Dallas, Texas. He is a 25-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry. Please contact Emily Frye (214-696-3600) for a full biography.
