Bermudian hotelier Robin Gilbert has been appointed the new general manager Coco Reef Hotel in Paget ? a move owner John Jefferis hopes will usher in a new era of calm and success at the controversy-plagued resort.

Mr. Gilbert, 56, replaces the outspoken Trinidadian Andrea Jennings, who resigned amid much publicity in December after labelling the local tourism industry ?dead in the water? and launching a stinging attack on the quality of service provided by Bermudian workers.

Ms Jennings? year-long stay was fraught with difficulty, with an unhealthy friction between management and staff resulting in a series of bitter industrial actions. But speaking to yesterday, Mr. Gilbert made it clear he intends to change all that.

From earning $20 a week at the old Bermudiana hotel in the late 1960?s to managing a hotel on Kenya?s remote southern coast, he certainly has garnered a broad experience in the industry.

One of the first graduates of the Bermuda Hotel School in 1967, he was awarded a scholarship to complete his professional degree in the United Kingdom.

And following a two-year stint on a management development programme in three major London hotels, Mr. Gilbert accepted the position of general manager of a hotel on Jadini Beach in Kenya at the tender age of 26.

While at home, Mr. Gilbert has worked at Cambridge Beaches in Somerset and owned the Palmetto Bay Hotel in Flatts for five years ? before selling the property to concentrate on the family retail business.

He was lured back into the hotel industry last year, however, when Mr. Jefferis persuaded him to assist in the transition and construction phase of the wide-ranging redevelopment on the Coco Reef property, formerly known as the Stonington Beach Hotel and Resort.

The resignation of Ms Jennings opened up an opportunity he could not afford to miss, he said, while adding he is absolutely committed to ensuring high standards of service throughout his tenure. ?This is a beautiful hotel, in a fantastic location, on one of the most beautiful islands in the world,? he said. ?We know that the guests of the hotel expect high standards, and all of us, staff and management alike, are more than prepared to rise to the occasion.?

Pressed on what he thought of the many doom-merchants like Ms Jennings, who have said the local tourism industry is in a permanent state of decline, Mr. Gilbert insisted the situation can be remedied. ?There is no question that Bermuda is a beautiful product,? he said. ?But it is now incumbent on all hotels, not just ourselves at Coco Reef, to offer a fantastic service that exceeds the expectations of our guests.

?It?s true we will have to consider offering reduced rates in the winter to fill beds, but I?m confident we will meet with success provided we make every effort to ensure we bend over backwards to be accommodating and efficient. Coupled with the beauty of the Island, that is what will get people coming back for more.?

Meanwhile, Mr. Jefferis also expressed his pleasure with the new addition to his team, adding that the $10 million so far invested in the redevelopment of the property will come to nothing without strong leadership.

?The appointment of a veteran hotelier of Robin Gilbert?s stature as general manager is a major step forward in our plans for the continued development of the property,? he said.

?While we have received numerous accolades for the design and physical upgrade of the hotel, Robin will focus on bringing the operation to a consistently professional level demanded by our customers...Robin has the leadership skills to achieve these goals.?