Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

The Westin and Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort and Starwood Hotels and Resorts World-wide Inc. are cutting ties as of July 1.

As a result, the resort will be dropping the Westin and Sheraton brands, which it acquired in 2003 when the Starwood chain took over operation of the hotel facility.

The Radisson chain will once again return to the island to take over management. The upcoming changes at the resort were posted on the company’s website. “Please note that the Westin will be rebranded to the Radisson at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort and the Sheraton will be rebranded to Our Lucaya Reef Village on July 1, 2009,” the website said.

The Westin, which will be operated under the Radisson flag, was once Breakers Cay and Lighthouse Pointe, while the Sheraton will reclaim the name it formerly held: The Reef Village.

Read more details at NassauGuardian.net.

“Please note that the Westin will be rebranded to the Radisson at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort and the Sheraton will be rebranded to Our Lucaya Reef Village on July 1, 2009,” the website said.

Taste Of Grand Bahama Blog Visit our new Blog Taste Of Grand Bahama by clicking the link. Taste Of Grand Bahama is a blog written by both Lyndah Wells (Editor), James Sarles and other Guest bloggers. We write about events and simple pleasures of living life here in the idylic island of Grand Bahama. We try to provide honest and informative information on things to do here,unbiased reviews about restaurants to visit- we blog about events taking place here and really about how to make Grand Bahama a home away from home. We look forward to your feedback.

Taste Of Grand Bahama Blog Visit our new Blog Taste Of Grand Bahama by clicking the icon above. Taste Of Grand Bahama is a blog written by both Lyndah Wells (Editor), James Sarles and other Guest bloggers. We write about events and simple pleasures of living life here in the idylic island of Grand Bahama. We try to provide honest and informative information on things to do here,unbiased reviews about restaurants to visit- we blog about events taking place here and really about how to make Grand Bahama a home away from home. We look forward to your feedback.

Moving can be a life-altering experience for a child. If you are moving out of the area and your children will be attending a new school, the difficulties for children may only be magnified. However, there are plenty of things you can do for your children during the moving process that can turn a stressful event into a time of excitement. Here are some suggestions.

1. Share the news early
Once you have made the decision to move, let your children know and listen to their opinions. While some kids may be disappointed ^ especially if you are moving out of the area ^ they may find some solace in providing input. Furthermore, the more time your children have to prepare themselves for the move, the better.

2. Show some excitement
Rather than expressing regret about the decision to move, let your kids know that a new home will be an exciting opportunity for everyone. Talk about the activities your family can do after moving and the benefits of their new school. As moving day approaches, you may find that your children are looking forward to everything from decorating their bedrooms to making new friends.

3. Get the kids involved
As you make the preparations to move, try to get your kids involved in the process. To help your kids remain focused and happy, work with them to schedule some fun activities before moving out. Find some local guide books or websites that your children can read and let them serve as tour guides after moving into the new neighborhood. When packing, it can also be helpful to let children box up and label their own belongings allowing them to feel more in control of the process.

4. Incorporate some creativity
To help your kids take their minds off the stresses of moving, encourage them to be creative. Younger children might enjoy painting pictures of your old house to display after you’ve moved. Older children can keep a journal or scrapbook during moving and have a story to share later. During the moving process, you could also give your kids jobs ^ complete with badges and uniforms ^ to help them stay involved.

5. Have a party
Prior to leaving your home, throw a party for yourself and your kids. Invite the friends of everyone in the family and plan some fun, all-ages activities. Afterwards, make sure your kids receive contact information for everyone they want to stay in contact with.

6. Get acquainted with your new surroundings
Once you have unloaded, try to make the first night in your new home as exciting as possible. Have fun playing hide-and-seek or a board game before worrying about unpacking and organizing. After you have settled in, start taking walks or bike rides around the neighborhood. You can introduce yourselves to the neighbors and the kids might find some new friends.

7. Get back to normal
For the sake of the entire family’s happiness, try not to take too long to resume doing what your family enjoys. You may want to drive through the area and acquaint yourself with the locations of businesses like grocery stores and restaurants. When Saturday rolls around, try out the local restaurant you found.

Though moving can be difficult on children of all ages, it can also provide something to look forward to. By keeping your kids involved during every step of the moving process, you will help them feel in control of the situation. After moving into your new home, help them understand that life will be as fun as it always was; it will just take place in a different location. Most importantly, do your best as a family to stay together and have fun along the way.

The Ministry Of Tourism and Aviation has unveiled five new heritage sites in Grand Bahama. They are the Mermaid Pond in Lewis Yard, the Pinder’s Point Lighthouse, Hawksbill Creek, the boiling hole in Hepburn Town, and Fern Gully, and Josey Cave.

The Mermaid Pond can be heard sucking and blowing each time the tide ebbs and flows. The Pinder’s Point Lighthouse was built in the late 1700s to early 1800s. Hawksbill Creek is named after the now endangered turtle that use to frequent its waters. The boiling hole is known for how its waters swirl with the movement of the tide. The cave was where residents in the Holmes’ Rock community took refuge from a serious hurricane.

(resource: BahamaIslandsInfo)

A weekend full of magic and comedy is in store for all ages July 3-4 in Grand Bahama, when world-class entertainers bring their talents to the island.

The weekend will kick off on Friday, July 3, when talented comedians will bring a night of laughs and fun for the older crowd at the Our Lucaya Convention Centre ballroom.

Saturday, July 4, will be a day of kid-focused fun with a world-renowned magician, exciting juggler, and two favourite cartoon characters appearing live on stage.

Local show organiser and president of Tides Entertainment Orick Nesbitt said that the weekend of fun and laughter is just what Grand Bahama needs. “Everyone in Grand Bahama has felt some of the pressures of today, and it is events like this that will give some relief to the stress and encourage families to spend time together,” Mr Nesbitt said.

For details and ticket information, visit BahamaIslandsInfo (use Firefox as the browser).

Customer Service and Lead Generation were the focus of the annual Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates Broker’s and Manager’s conference held June 17-21 in St. Martin, FWI. Coldwell Banker business owners and their management staff attended and shared ideas both on generating new business and better ways to service customers who find us online.

The highlight of the conference, held at La Samanna on the French side of the Island, were the technological initiatives presented by Larry Burke, Director of IT for the company. Among the many new concepts on the horizon are individual company Facebook and Twitter pages, complete with listing data and links back to their own websites. Individual agent pages and individual listing pages were also displayed.

Using cutting-edge proprietary technology, Burke demonstrated many new applications that will ultimately lead to a dominant web presence and an industry presence second to none. When a web visitor finds us online, we want their experience to be fulfilling and give the information they want. We will be using all these new tools to achieve this goal.

Heather Goodman, Marketing Director for the company, introduced new marketing concepts for the year ahead, including website directory links and on-line advertising at some of world’s leading newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Attending the conference were 22 Brokers and Managers from many of the island countries of the Atlantic and Caribbean. Also in attendance was Jim Gillespie, President & CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation and Beth Makatura, VP & Director of International Services. The meeting was hosted by Coldwell Banker Real Estate St. Maarten & Coldwell Banker Caraibe.

Check back often to our Grand Bahama Coldwell Banker site and watch for the latest in technology to be available for your use.

Visitors choose the Caribbean as a destination in large part because of its beaches and water sports, and Grand Bahama has its share of gorgeous waterfront.

Not only are there several public beaches, such as William’s Town Beach, Gold Rock Beach, Lucayan Beach, and more, but many resorts have their own private beaches where vacationers can get away from the crowds.

The beaches in Grand Bahama are known for their white sands and the crystal-clear water is part of the experience. Read more about the Beaches of Grand Bahama at YourBeachVacation.net.

For many families, moving can be a very stressful event. Besides coming to terms with your new life in a new home, you and your family will also need to think about moving day. Too often, families get caught up in various activities before moving day and fail to make the proper preparations. If you and your family are preparing to move, try to stay calm and organized throughout the process. For a few extra pointers on how to make your moving day a success, consider the simple advice outlined here.

Make a detailed checklist

It can be difficult to keep track of all the tasks associated with moving. Try to organize your days leading up to and beyond moving day. If you have a reminder of what needs to be done and where you need to be, you are more likely to have a smooth moving day.

Prepare for day 1

Prior to packing all of your boxes, you may want to assemble one box of necessities for the whole family. As most families finish unpacking their trucks late in the evening, there is often little desire to open several boxes to find pillows and toothbrushes. To prevent a stressful first night in your new home, try to place anything your family might need in the first 24 hours in a separate box, mark it clearly and keep it accessible during moving. Also, if you have any valuable or irreplaceable items ^ such as jewelry and personal keepsakes ^ you should try to wrap the items well and keep them with you while moving.

To help with your checklist, you should try to include all of the following items in your day 1 box:

^ Personal toiletries
^ Soap
^ Toilet paper
^ Snacks and drinks
^ Flashlight
^ Screwdriver
^ Pliers
^ Set of plastic plates and cutlery
^ Paper towels or tissue

Pack manageable boxes

Unless you have lots of large, lightweight items ^ such as down comforters and blankets ^ you shouldn’t need too many oversized boxes. Oversized moving materials often force homeowners into packing boxes that are too heavy and unmanageable. Instead, try to find plenty of midsized boxes and distribute weight evenly. Furthermore, if you are moving yourself, make sure you have all the necessary materials on hand before packing, including bubble wrap or packing peanuts for fragile items.

Label every box

When packing your boxes, try not to place items for different rooms in the same box. After sealing up each box, simply mark which room the items belong in. When you arrive at your new home, you will be able to take each box to its rightful place and each family member can spend time organizing their own space.

De-clutter as you go

As you prepare to move out of your home, try to organize your belongings and set aside unwanted items. After unpacking in your new home, you will be happy having more space and fewer items to arrange. Before moving out, you can hold a yard sale or make a charitable donation to get rid of your unwanted belongings.

Get the family involved

If you have children, help them get excited about moving. With something to look forward to ^ like the chance to decorate a new bedroom ^ children often get more involved in the moving process. Also, you may want to ask your friends and family for help on moving day. Even if no one is able to move furniture with you, a family member could watch your pet for the day or take care of errands.

Though moving day can be a very overwhelming time for families, proper organization can make help turn that stress into excitement. If you follow your timeline leading up to moving day, you and your family will have no problem approaching the big move with confidence.

Bahamas Honeymoon recently gave our island great publicity, in a thorough and informative article on the island: what, where, how to get here, things to do, where to stay, and getting around. It’s a great primer on spending your honeymoon here in Grand Bahama.

Here are some hints:

Where to Stay - “If you don’t want to spend more than $100 per day, then you can stay at places like Bell Channel Inn, Dundee Bay Villas, Island Palm Resort, Port Lucaya Resort, or Flamingo Bay Hotel & Marina…There are currently more than 30 big hotels and resorts in the Grand Bahama Island.”

Things to Do - “You can visit the beautiful beaches like Paradise Cove Beach, Barbary Beach, Mather Town Beach, Xanadu Beach, Taino Beach, Gold Rock Beach, William’s Town Beach and Lucayan Beach.

If you like water sports and adventures then you can go snorkeling, diving, boating, sailing and fishing.”

Read the full article at EngagedNow, and make your reservations to spend your honeymoon on Grand Bahama. Set aside some time to talk to a Coldwell Banker agent about property here - we guarantee you’ll want to come back!