We are delighted to announce that we have today signed an agreement with Langham Hotels International which confirms them to be the operators of the luxury, five star, Langham Place Resort & Spa at Port St. George. The Langham name is a legend in hotel history. When it first opened in 1865 in the heart of London, The Langham was Europe’s first truly 'grand hotel' and it has now hosted royalty, dignitaries and celebrities for a period spanning three centuries. Many of the comforts and luxuries found in all five-star hotels were pioneered by the first Langham and to this day Langham Hotels International is dedicated to providing the same commitment to innovation in hospitality.

Langham Hotels International operate two five star brands. Whilst both share similarly exceptional levels of quality and service, Langham hotels are typically city hotels in the traditional 'grand hotel' style, whereas Langham Place hotels adopt a more contemporary approach which we feel is more fitting to an island resort location. To use Langham's own words:

"Whatever you may have thought of five star hotels in the past, think again! Langham Place challenges the accepted definition of 'luxury', creating new, surprising and exciting experiences that both stimulate and support our guests.

You'll feel a refreshing sense of modern elegance as soon as you step into Langham Place: modern art that intrigues, music that inspires, flavours that ignite and aromas that arouse. And you'll find hints of our classic heritage throughout our hotels, from our love of art to our sense of space.

But you won't find Langham Place hiding from the community that surrounds it: quite the opposite. We embrace the local sights, sounds, tastes and traditions, giving each hotel its own individual sense of vitality and flair. You'll also find that same sense of vitality in our people whose sparkling sense of enjoyment helps our guests to feel energised and alive.

We also bring new meaning to the word 'wired': you'll find we offer leading edge technology throughout the hotel that enables you to be totally connected, informed or entertained while sinking into your pillow, splashing in the bath or sipping an evening cocktail.

Whether you're with us for business or pleasure you'll find that our hotels inspire you to do more, firing your imagination and enabling you to make the most of your leisure or work time."

As part of the due diligence we carried out before entering into agreement with Langham, Curly, Jon and I all had the pleasure of being the guest of Langham in hotels operating under both the Langham and Langham Place brands. We are therefore able to offer those of you who have not yet experienced a Langham hotel our personal assurance that what they say about themselves is perfectly true.

Of particular appeal to us is the Langham Place ethic of working with what a destination and its population already have to offer. Knowing Long Islanders as we do, we are confident that this philosophy will work well at Port St. George and it fits perfectly with our own vision for the development. Another attraction is that although Langham operate on four continents they are not a typical, global, multi-branded company. Far from seeking uniformity from one property to the next, the Langham approach is that each individual hotel should be iconic.

During the selection process it quickly became clear to us that Langham choose to pursue far fewer of the new opportunities that are presented to them than some of their competitors. To attract their interest an opportunity has to have something that will make it a cut above other hotels in the region. However, once their interest was aroused then the attention to detail and commitment to winning the contract that Langham showed was a significant factor in their becoming our chosen operator. They also just happen to be exceptionally nice people to do business with and we all feel that we have begun to develop friendships with members of the Langham team that will prove to be both enjoyable and long lasting.

In choosing to work with Langham Hotels International we are confident that we shall bring to Port St. George a five star hotelier who will not only bring quality and prestige to the development, but also prove to be a good employer, a good neighbour and a partner who will work with us to create a hotel experience which will exceed anything which The Bahamas currently has to offer. To see more of Langham please visit www.langhamhotels.com.

Published: 05 Aug 2009