Baha Mar Breaks Ground on a 700 Million Dollar Bahamas Expansion

Kingston, Jamaica — 12 February 2026

Baha Mar, the largest resort complex in the Caribbean, has broken ground on a major expansion at its Nassau property, committing more than 700 million US dollars to a new development that will add significant new capacity to the Bahamas’ flagship tourism destination. Construction began on 12 February 2026, with the completed facility anticipated in 2029. The expansion is positioned strategically between Baha Mar’s existing SLS and Rosewood properties on Cable Beach, New Providence.

A Statement of Confidence

Baha Mar’s president described the groundbreaking as a direct signal of confidence in The Bahamas and in the long-term future of luxury tourism in the Caribbean. The new development was designed by Foster and Partners, the globally recognised architecture firm responsible for some of the world’s most prominent buildings, including Wembley Stadium in London and Apple Park’s headquarters in California. The design brief calls for a property that blends luxury with Bahamian cultural identity and natural elements, in keeping with a regional trend toward architecture that reflects local heritage rather than generic international hotel aesthetics.

The prime minister, speaking at the groundbreaking, framed the investment as evidence that the national economy is on a sound footing, that tourism is growing, and that international confidence in The Bahamas remains strong. The expansion was presented as part of a broader narrative of forward momentum for the archipelago.

Scale and Context

Baha Mar is already one of the largest resort developments in the hemisphere, encompassing multiple hotel brands, a casino, convention facilities, restaurants, golf, and a water park across hundreds of acres of Cable Beach. The 700-million-dollar expansion will add further accommodation capacity and amenities to a property that already employs thousands of Bahamians and serves as a cornerstone of the national tourism economy.

The timing of the expansion is notable. The Bahamas has been experiencing record-breaking visitor arrivals, and the expansion of the luxury resort sector on New Providence is designed to capture growing demand from high-spend travellers, particularly from North America. At the same time, legal and planning guides have noted that The Bahamas has seen a burst of new boutique and mid-size hotel development announcements across the islands, with the opening of a new cruise port capable of accommodating the largest contemporary cruise ships further reinforcing the destination’s tourism infrastructure.

Tourism Development and the Property Market

The continued growth of large-scale tourism infrastructure in Nassau carries direct implications for the surrounding real estate market. Properties in proximity to major resort developments have historically seen value appreciation as ancillary hospitality businesses, residential demand from workers and managers, and the wider economic stimulus effect of large-scale construction all play out. The years-long construction programme for the Baha Mar expansion will sustain employment in the building sector and generate supply chain activity across the island.

However, the same tourism growth dynamic that underpins hotel development also contributes to the housing affordability pressures identified elsewhere in Nassau’s property market. Short-term rental demand, driven partly by the profile that major resort destinations confer on surrounding areas, continues to reduce the residential inventory available to local Bahamians. The challenge for policymakers is managing both sides of this dynamic simultaneously.

Regional Significance

For the wider Caribbean, the Baha Mar expansion confirms that large-scale branded resort investment remains a viable and active force in the region’s development landscape. The scale of the commitment, more than 700 million dollars, places it among the most significant single tourism development investments in the Caribbean in recent years. It reinforces Nassau’s position as the region’s preeminent luxury resort destination while also setting a benchmark for what competing destinations must aspire to match in terms of product quality, amenity depth, and international brand association.

Source: Our News Bahamas / Caribbean regional sources, February 2026