PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING HOTELS IN THE BAHAMAS

APPLICATION FOR LICENCE TO OPERATE AN HOTEL

(Click here for Application for Licence to Operate Form (First Time Applicant) and ancillary forms)

Section 2 (1) of the Hotels Act describes a hotel as any building, or group of buildings with common ancillary services, that contain not fewer than four (4) bedrooms or ten (10) beds, in which accommodation is provided for the purpose of reward for guests by a common management. Bed & Breakfast facilities, Motels and Guest Houses meeting this description also fall under the category of “hotel”. A hotel licence is required by all hotel operators to operate a hotel in The Bahamas. Refer to sectionon Hotel Licensing Boards – Grand Bahama for special licensing conditions pertaining to hotels in the City of Freeport.

In order to qualify for a first-time hotel licence, the following is required:-

STEP I

Dung the initial planning stage of the hotel operation, the owner/ hotel operator is advised to:

Liaise with the Hotels Encouragement Unit, Ministry of Financial Services and Investments, on regulations regarding incentives underthe Hotels Encouragement Act.A handout entitled Investment Incentives for Hotel & Resort Developmenthas been prepared by the Hotels Encouragement Unit, Ministry of Financial Services & Investments, Goodman’s Bay Corporate Centre, Nassau, Bahamas regarding information pertaining to hotel concessions can be used as a guideline.

  1. Hold discussions with each of the following four Government Agencies to obtain specific licensing requirements:
    Refer to section on Licensing Inspection Agencies for addresses.
  1. Hotel Licensing Department - Ministry of Tourism
  2. Department of Environmental Health Services – Ministry of Health
  3. Buildings Control Division - Ministry of Works & Utilities

Architectural drawings for the hotel building must be submitted to the Buildings Control Division-Ministry of Works & Utilities, the Fire Department and the Department of Environmental Health Services in Nassau. For hotels on Grand BahamaIsland (except Freeport) and the OutIslands, plans should be submitted to the Administrator’s office or to the relevant Government Agencies if they are located on the Island. Hotels in Freeport should submit drawings to the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Freeport. In the case of an existing building, check with the Physical Planning Unit to ensure that the location is zoned to accommodate

such a business.

4.Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Department

Refer to section on Government Agency Contacts foraddresses.

B.Obtain copies of the Hotels Act and Hotels Regulations.

Refer to section on Legislation for more details.
Note: Operators for Grand BahamaIsland or OutIsland hotels should, in addition, discuss their plans with the Government Administrator in their District.

STEP II

The following forms and documents are necessary when applying for a first-time licence:-

  1. Application for Licence to Operate An Hotel (Form I) – to be completed in duplicate.
  1. Form IB - Requires particulars on the hotel e.g. name of hotel, name of manager, address, total number of bedrooms etc.
  1. Part 1 Hotel Winter Rates Return (Form X1)
  1. Part 11 Hotel Summer Rates Return (Form X1)
  1. Investments Board Approval – special requirement applicable to foreign

ownership.

  1. Bahamas Exchange Control Certificate/Central Bank Approval designating the

company ‘Resident’ – special requirement applicable to foreign ownership.

  1. Proof of Bahamian citizenship for Bahamian manager or copy of work permit for a foreign manager.

8.Proof of Ownership of the property i.e. Lease Agreement or Deed of Conveyance.

9.If the hotel is company-owned:

(a) Articles of Association for the company.

(b) Memorandum of Association for the company.

(c) Certificate of Good Standing for the company.

(d) Certificate of Incorporation for the company.

10.Copy of current Business Licence or receipt indicating that application was made

for the Business Licence.

The address for the Business Licence Unit can be obtained from the section on Government Agency Contacts.

11.For the Information of Guests [Hotel Rate Card] (Form Xll)

12. Copy of contract/agreement for the servicing of fire equipment - Hotel operators

are required to have their fire equipment serviced semi-annually by a company

approved by the Ministry of Works & Utilities. A listing ofFirms Approved by

the Ministry of Works for the Servicing ofFire Equipment and Installation of Automatic Fire Extinguishing Systems is attached.

  1. Copy of extracts from the Environmental Guidelines For Hoteliers.

Hotel operators are encouraged to implement environmentally friendly procedures; this information is provided for reference purposes.

  1. If the property is to comprise fewer than 100 rooms, refer to the Small Hotels Unit, Ministry of Tourism, STEP (Small Tourism Enterprises Project) Project Updateconcerning the MobileResourceCenterdesigned to provide operators of small hotels access to a training and certification program.

Hotel operators on Nassau & Paradise Island should submit completed documents, along with the hotel licence fee, where applicable, to the Chief Licensing Officer, Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, P.O. Box N-3701, Nassau, Bahamas or, in the case of Grand Bahama Island (except Freeport) and the Out Islands, the Government Administrator in the relevant District, no later than three (3) months prior to the proposed opening date.

Refer to section on Taxes & Fees for specific information regarding the licence fee.

Note: All Forms pertaining to Application for Licence to Operate An Hotel, as cited above, can be obtained as follows:-

a) can be downloaded from this Web site as indicated above.

b) the Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, Nassau or Grand Bahama
b) the Government Administrator inthe relevant Local Government District

STEP IlI

When the hotel is ready for occupancy, the property must be inspected by the following four (4) Government Agencies:-

1. Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism

2. Department of Environmental Health Services, Ministry of Health

3. Buildings Control Division, Ministry of Works & Utilities

4. Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Department

and receive the following:-

a) A favourable report from the Hotel Licensing Inspector, Ministry of Tourism.

b) A Certificate of Sanitation from the Department of Environmental Health Services.

c) An Occupancy Certificate and a favorable report from the Buildings Control

Division, Ministry of Works & Utilities.

d) A favorable report from the Royal Bahamas Police Fire Department.

Refer to section on Licensing Inspection Agencies/Hotel Inspections for contacts and responsibilities of each Inspector.

For inspection of hotels on Nassau & ParadiseIsland, hotel operators are required to contact the Chief Licensing Officer, Hotel Licensing Department, Ministry of Tourism, Nassau, who will coordinate the inspections by all respective Government Agencies. For inspection of hotels on Grand BahamaIsland, contact the Hotel Licensing Unit, Ministry of Tourism, Freeport, or the Government Administrator in the relevant District, who willcoordinate the inspections by all respective Government Agencies.

STEP lV

When the application form, relevant documents and satisfactory Government Agency Inspection reports have been submitted, the Secretary to the Board will make arrangements for a Hotel Licensing Board Meeting, at which the application documents will be presented for review. The Board will exercise its power to grant, refuse or defer the licence.

Refer to section on Hotel Licensing Boards for more details.

Should the Hotel Licensing Board grant a licence, the Secretary to the Board will issue the Hotel Licence Certificate. Upon receipt, the Licence should be conspicuously displayed in the hotel. Should, however, the licence be refused or deferred, the applicant will be notified in writing.

Note: Hotel licences are required to be renewed annually.

See section on Licensing Procedures, Renewal of Licence Application.

STEP V

A hotel should not commence operation prior to receiving a hotel licence. From commencement of operation, all hotel operators must collect from the guests the Hotel Guest Tax, which is 6% of the room rate. A Monthly Return of Hotel Guest Tax Form (Form X) is to be completed and submitted along with payment to the respective Government Agency.

Refer to section on Taxes and Fees for more details.

PROCEDURES FOR LICENSED HOTELS ON
BAHAMAS.COM

Following is the procedure to be followed for new property listings on bahamas.com.

Step 1: The property must first obtain approval or licence certificate from the relevant Hotel Licensing authority. Only licensed accommodations will be featured on bahamas.com.

Step 2: The Hotel Licensing Department/Administrator’s Office Department will inform the new property that it will automatically get a general listing on bahamas.com and request that they complete the accommodation template form (attached) and also provide an interior and exterior photo of the property.

Step 3: The property’s owner/manager should return the completed form (and photo/s) to:

Monique V. Hepburn

Ministry of Tourism

P.O. Box N-3701

Nassau, Bahamas

Phone: 242-356-5216; Fax: 242-356-5904

Email:

Step 4: The information on the licensed property will be passed on to the Ministry’s IT/E-Commerce Unit.

Step 5: The property’s listing will then be added to the “Where to Stay” section of the relevant island. Estimated time of completion is one to two weeks; however, the time to fully upload the property may vary, depending on how much material is provided.

Step 6: After the property has been uploaded to bahamas.com, the IT/E-Commerce Unit will send an email, including a hyperlink to the page, notifying the owner/manager that the listing is currently live on the Web site.

Step 7: The owner/manager should advise immediately whether there are any corrections or additions to be made and/or signoff on the information.

NAME OF HOTEL: ______Choose One for Price

Value: $ / $$ / $$$ / $$$$ ______

ISLAND WHERE LOCATED: ______

Type / Amenities / Related Experiences / Contact / Email / Website / Description / Add’l Info
All-Inclusive, Apartment Hotel, Bed & Breakfast, Bonefish Lodge, Dive Resort, Condominium Hotel, Hotel, Resort, Timeshare, Cottages/Villas / Choose the ones that are on property:
Air Conditioning, Bar and Lounge, Business Center, Casino, Children's Activities, Dive Shop, Fishing Guide, Fitness Center, Golf Course, Handicap Accessible, Internet, Large Groups, Live Entertainment, Marina, Meeting Facilities, Non-Smoking Facilities, On Beach, Pool, Restaurant, Shops, Spa, Television, Tennis, Water Sports, Weddings / Attractions, Beaches, Birding, Boating & Sailing,
Dining, Diving,Ecotourism,
Family Fun, Festivals, Fishing, Gaming, Golfing, Nightlife, People-to-People,
Private Flying, Shopping, Sports, Weddings, Worship
These are experiences related to the hotel, i.e. Whether youhave a Golf Course or arrange Fishing, etc. / Name, title, address, phone number(s). Multiple addresses and numbers may be listed. / Hotel contact email.
Format:
/ Hotel website. Format:
/ A paragraph or more describing the hotel's attributes and amenities, etc. / Supporting details. For example, distance from airport and what credit cards are accepted.
PLEASE ALSO SEND TESTIMONIALS (HARD COPY OR EMAIL) FROM VISITORS AND 2 PHOTOS (PREFERABLY ONE INTERIOR AND ONE EXTERIOR).

Please complete and return, along with photo (s),via e-mail, fax or regular mail, to:

Monique V. Hepburn

Ministry of Tourism

P. O. Box N-3701

Nassau, Bahamas

Phone: 242-356-5216/4231; Fax: 242-356-5904

E-mail:

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