Government is confident a new hotel will be built in the East End after holding talks with a number of “interested developers”.And Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell is also backing calls for more guest houses to be built in the town, claiming the private sector can work in tandem with a major resort to provide a choice of accommodation for all visitors.Successive administrations have repeatedly given assurances that a new hotel will be built in St George’s following the closure of the Club Med resort in the late 1980s.In 2008, former Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown said he expected a new Park Hyatt hotel to open on the former site by 2012 after Government signed a 262-year lease with developer Carl Bazarian. That deal eventually collapsed last December, and last month MPs repealed the Park Hyatt (St George’s) Resort Act, opening the way for Government to put the site back on the market.And Mr Crockwell now believes that the location will attract developers who can finally deliver a major hotel for the area.“Government has been working diligently behind the scenes and talking to interested developers for the Club Med site,” Mr Crockwell told The Royal Gazette.“A Request For Proposal will be issued within the next few weeks and I am hopeful that in the near future we can make an announcement on a new development that will revitalise St George’s and fully embrace our UNESCO World Heritage attractions.”Earlier this week, guest house owner Philip Seaman said a new hotel was not an essential requirement for tourism to thrive if more of the town’s private properties could be turned into guest houses. Mr Seaman renovated his family’s 200-year-old carriage house before opening it up to visitors two years ago, and said the property is now almost continuously booked up.Although Mr Crockwell said he approved of more private accommodations being made available to visitors, Government was still intent on getting a new hotel up and running.“I am encouraged by Bermudians who are offering up creative ways to add to the current room inventory for our visitors as we move to develop larger hotels,” Mr Crockwell said.“Almost one quarter of all visitor arrivals now comprise people staying in private accommodation of less than five beds. This is an important sector that has the ability to provide a unique visitor experience and in many cases at more affordable prices.“If we are to revive our tourism product it will take the combined efforts of the public and private sectors and I am encouraged by the enthusiasm of local entrepreneurs who are working to provide accommodation and activities for our visitors.”That view was backed by the head of the St George’s Foundation — the organisation set up to develop a “vision” for the town while preserving its heritage.Executive director Sharon Jacobs said there were many historic buildings in the town now lying derelict that, if restored, would make ideal guest house accommodation.But she said she believed a new hotel was still necessary to provide a full range of facilities for visitors.“ I think what Mr Seaman has done — to take a historic building, restore it and then turn it into a working business is a terrific idea,” Ms Jacobs said.“Clearly some tourists want to live in the town, eat in local restaurants, interface with local residents and feel that they’re a part of the town, and they can do this while staying in a historic cottage. There’s obviously a niche market for that and there are many times when we are asked if there’s a place in St George’s where people can stay.“But I do feel that the town still needs a hotel. A hotel brings other amenities into the town, such as a restaurant or maybe a spa, a swimming pool. Some people are still going to want the full amenities that a hotel has to offer. And it could also bring more locals into the town who might want to use those facilities.”