Hotel Licensing Boards

HOTEL LICENSING BOARD – NEW PROVIDENCE

The Hotel Licensing Board, New Providence, which meets frequently throughout the year, is responsible for the licensing of all hotels on Nassau/Paradise Island. Licences for these hotels are renewed annually and expire on December 31 of each year.

The New Providence-based Hotel Licensing Board, which is a statutory, autonomous body established by the Hotels Act 1970, is comprised of five members, three of whom form a quorum. The existing Board is comprised of the following members:-

Mr. Fritz Bootle-Chairman

Mr. Ricardo Moncur-Deputy Chairman

Mrs. Sonia Cox-Hamilton-Member

Mr. Charles R. Wallace-Member

Mrs. Kendolyn Cartwright-Robinson-Member

The work of the Board is supported by the Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, Nassau, which is headed by Mrs. Monique V. Hepburn, Director (Ag.), who also acts as Chief Licensing Officer and Secretary to the Board. The Secretary is responsible for carrying out the directives and coordinating all administrative matters for the Board and giving advice to the Chairman of the Board on policy matters due to her knowledge and expertise.

See section on Hotel Licensing Department/Contacts for address.

When making application for a hotel licence, the applicant must complete the applicable application form and other requisite forms as well as provide all the documents required by the Board. Applications are to be submitted to the Chief Licensing Officer, Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, Nassau.

For more details on the licensing process for an Application for Licence to Operate An Hotel, refer to the section on Licensing Procedures – First Time Applicant.

Forms pertaining to the application for a hotel licence are available from:-

a)the Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, Nassau, or

b) can be downloaded from the section on Regulated Forms (Applications etc.).

The Board, based on contents of the inspection reports, exercises its power, under section 4 of the Hotels Act, to carry out the following functions:

Grant a Licence, subject to whatever terms and conditions the Boards sees fit to impose.
Refuse to grant a licence or defer an application for a licence pending compliance with all respective Government Agency requirements
Grant a temporary licence.
Cancel the licence.

Have the hotel operator prosecuted for contravening the Regulations.
Have a hotel operator sued for non-payment of hotel guest tax.

If a hotel operator on Nassau/Paradise Island considers any decision of the Board unduly harsh, the operator may:-

Within fifteen (15) days after being informed of the decision, make representation to the Board. The Board must hear the appeal and decide whether it will uphold or rescind its former decision.
Appeal to the Minister of Tourism, which appeal must be lodged within fifteen (15) days from the date of being informed of the Hotel Licensing Board’s decision. The Minister must hold a hearing and may rule in favour of the Board by dismissing the appeal, or in favour of the operator by upholding the appeal. If the operator is not satisfied with the decision of the Minister of Tourism, the operator may appeal to the Court within fifteen (15) days of being informed of the Minister’s decision, but only on a point of law.