The closure of Daniel's Head has caused "huge disappointment" to travel agents in Britain because it had been selling well, according to reports in The Times in London.

But in a separate story, the same newspaper says the tented eco-resort was doomed to failure from the beginning because it got off to a ramshackle start.

Reporter Steve Keenan wrote last week: "The abrupt closure has hugely disappointed UK tour operators, who welcomed the opportunity to offer a different type of Bermuda holiday.

He quoted Catherine Leech of Caribtours saying: "People who thought Bermuda never had anything for them were booking Daniel's Head. It was refreshingly different and was one hotel in Bermuda that was really selling well for us.

"Families with teenagers or people who were beyond backpacking but unable to afford luxury were booking. They were outdoors types. Of all the properties to lose in Bermuda, this is very sad because it is unique."

But also in The Times in the same day, Cath Urquhart wrote some tents at the former Canadian naval annex offered insufficient protection from the rocks, the partitions offered scant prtivacy, and she was unimpressed that it was half finished during the press trip.

"Given this shaky start, I was not surprised to learn the resort has gone into receivership," she wrote.

"But this is about more than one failed project. Daniel's Head was trying to do something new on Bermuda, an island best known for its luxury resorts.

"It offered a less glitzy and cheaper place for visitors who would otherwise be put off by Bermuda's high prices. The island has suffered a big drop in the number of tourists since September 11, and it needs projects like Daniel's Head to attract them back."

The resort, which went into liquidation this month, was owned by San Diego-based Excel Legacy Corporation. Accountants KPMG, appointed by the bank of N.T. Butterfield, are looking to sell the resort.