Wyndham International's marketing clout is a primary reason for Sonesta owner Clifford Schorer's decision to have the hotelier take over management of the South Shore hotel.

"Wyndham has a very large presence in the Caribbean and is clearly a very large marketing force in the US and that's going to be crucial for us to increase our occupancy numbers," Mr. Schorer said yesterday.

He confirmed reports that the deal transferring management of the hotel from Sonesta Hotels to Wyndham was just days from being signed.

"We will be having a signing ceremony in Bermuda and we will also be having a presentation to the staff," he said.

He added : "I think that Bermuda has to walk very carefully with its status as a high cost destination. For us we are trying to target a value conscious family-oriented segment.

We're just trying to find our own place in the market place we feel that the family segment is one that we value highly. That's where we focus our attention."

Wyndham has some 40 hotels, including ten luxury resorts, the majority of which are in the United States, but it is the largest hotelier in the Caribbean.

The company says it sees the Sonesta deal as the perfect opportunity to re-enter the Bermuda market - after having run the Elbow Beach hotel for three years ending in 1996 when it was replaced by The Rafael Group.

Tourism Minister Renee Webb could not be reached for comment by Press time last night.