Baha Mar is seeing record breaking occupancy levels in the first quarter of 2026, with those strong numbers expected to trickle into the summer season, according to Baha Mar President Graeme Davis.
Davis told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that in March the hotel was at 95 percent occupancy.
In April, it was in the high 80s, and in May the hotel was just a little over 80 percent, a welcome shift after the resort saw a drop in numbers last year compared to rates seen in 2024, Davis said.
“We should first reflect on the incredible first quarter we had and where we are today,” Davis said.
“We’ve had some record months in occupancy. It’s been incredible. March, April, May, all record months since we’ve opened, which is terrific.
“Then looking at the summer season, we’re now looking at pace that’s well ahead of the same time last year, and we’re expecting to have high occupancy, well over 80 percent over the summer time.
“We’re excited and I think we’re in a great position here in The Bahamas. Easy location to get to when you talk about the cost of airfare going up around the world.”
Davis shared that the increase is in part due to ongoing geopolitical issues that have made The Bahamas a safer, more attractive destination for prospective visitors, adding that short haul trips also make it more cost effective for travelers to come to The Bahamas.
“I think 2025 we certainly saw a drop off from ’24,” he said.
“There was a decrease in the first quarter.
“But I believe with the global geopolitical issues that are going on, it certainly has helped The Bahamas tremendously, as well as what’s happened in Canada, so I think there is a lot of moving parts around the globe that truly does help.
“And this year particularly, we’re seeing in 2026 that is making it more popular and making The Bahamas the vacation of choice location.”
Davis pointed out that Canadian business is up 40 percent at Baha Mar, saying that additional airlift taken out by the Ministry of Tourism, as well as work by the Nassau and Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB), has made a tremendous impact on the Canadian business that came in during the winter and is set to continue into the summer.
However, Davis noted that there are other countries of interest.
“It’s important to know where the planes are coming from, and of course, the Canadian business is going to continue to be strong even though it will scale back a little bit over the summer months, but that European business will go into South Florida, will go into probably some of our markets in Orlando as well,” Davis said.
“We are seeing some great airlift, those direct flights out of Orlando. So that’s a great international hub where people can add on that vacation pre and post Disney or pre and post the Orlando experience and come on down to The Bahamas.
“So, we are seeing some international clientele coming in that are going through different markets in the South Florida area and then shifting over here for pre or post stay.
“We are seeing some group business that’s looking to move out of the northern part of Europe. Sweden has been some group business, corporate business that is looking to come to us instead of going to Dubai.
“We’re encouraged by these things, to hear the interest.”
He said, “We’re going to take full advantage of global geopolitical issues and make sure that everyone knows that The Bahamas is the place to come to. It’s safe and it’s close to some great international airports that can feed right into The Bahamas.”
Davis said the resort has some programs coming this summer for local residents to enjoy the resort’s water park, special staycation rates, and other avenues of entertainment including concerts.
In February, Baha Mar broke ground on a $700 million luxury beachfront resort that will feature over 300 guest rooms and 77 residence spaces.
The property is expected to rise up 330 feet along 12 acres on the Cable Beach coastline, and it will be designed by world-renowned architectural firm Foster and Partners.
Yesterday, Davis said matters related to the resort are progressing well.
“We’re just going through our final planning approvals,” Davis said.
“We’re certainly ready to start doing our pilings into the ground. That’ll happen a little bit later on this summer, but everything is as planned.
“We continuously look at the plans themselves and do some fine-tuning on the layouts of our guest rooms, our residences, our back of house to make sure that it’s going to be an exceptional experience.”
He said, “We’re not going to open until 2029. It’ll be in the fourth quarter. It’ll be late in the year, but we’ll probably start looking at bringing on some of the senior leadership probably about a year out. Then we’ll start looking at associates coming in anywhere from six months to a few months out.
“So, lots of opportunities coming down the road. Over 500 new associates coming on there.”
