Beach Cottage Colony.

Planners have given the go-ahead to the project which will add four new suites to the Tucker's Town property.

Other improvements include sprucing-up the lobby and 30 other suites, and building new offices.

In addition, retaining walls damaged this year by Hurricane Felix will be rebuilt.

Pink Beach general manager Mr. W.A. (Toppy) Cowen said the hotel would be closed between December 11 and March 1 for the overhaul.

"Normally we shut down for the winter in the first week of January,'' he said.

In its ruling, the Development Applications Board stressed it was only granting planning permission.

A building permit was needed before any of the improvements were started.

The three-month Pink Beach shutdown will buck a trend set by other hotels.

All of Bermuda's major hotels are keeping their doors open this winter, despite a year of hurricanes and declining air arrivals.

Sonesta Beach Resort, for example, will stay open, even though the last stages of an extensive renovation will be continuing until March.

Hoteliers are anxious to capture extra business and to shake the perception that the Island closes down between November and March.

Mr. Cowen said Pink Beach's shutdown was a demonstration of confidence in the future of Bermuda's largest cottage colony.

The revamp, he pointed out, would bring the number of suites at the property, to 93.