The Fairmont Southampton has realigned its operations to meet the shift in demand from high end to mid-range visitors as the economic crisis takes effect.

Previously, The Fairmont had focused mainly on the luxury tourist market, but the introduction of the new cost-conscious traveller this year has seen the resort transform the way it does business.

The hotel has adapted its restaurant offerings to match the change in clientele, lowered costs for guests and offered unprecedented room discounts to attract those looking for value for money in the current financial climate.

Shelley Meszoly, regional director of sales and marketing at The Fairmont Southampton, said the trend of change in type of visitor across the board was 100 percent down to the downturn in the global economy, part of which was perception rather than reality.

"It has changed from a sellers' market to a buyers' market and everyone is looking for a deal - and there are many deals to be had out there," she said.

Ms Meszoly reckons the high-end tourist is still going on holiday, but were travelling for a shorter amount of time and downgrading the kind of hotel they were staying in.

"I think everyone is just very mindful of what they have lost and there is uncertainty," she said.

"The customers are still coming, but they have been training in conditions that everything is for sale."

She said that the cost of doing business in Bermuda was an expensive proposition at the best of times, but the resort was looking at ways of being creative to help it through these tough economic times.

"It's obvious that people are now looking for value and we're changing our offerings so they can get it," she said.

"The hospitality industry in Bermuda, this hotel included, has a responsibility to respond to this demand in order to attract people back to Bermuda and to their hotels and restaurants.

"I just think that this is obviously a worldwide issue and probably one of the things is the fierce competition in the marketplace where internationally every resort in North America and the Caribbean is struggling due to group business being significantly down.

"Our group business is bad at the moment, but our leisure numbers are good and we need to focus on that to make up for the loss in group bookings."

The hotel's restaurants have put on price reductions and special offers at Waterlot Inn, Bacci and Ocean Club and expanded operations to include lunch and dinner at its newly-renovated restaurant, Wickets for the 2009 season. But it has decided not to reopen its flagship restaurant The Newport Room this year.

"While business at our higher-end restaurants has slowed, business at our mid-range restaurants, Bacci and Jasmine, is way up," said Leetroy Walker, director of food and beverage at The Fairmont Southampton.

"Wickets has just reopened for the season with an all-new menu that's more focused on family-style comfort food. That's really where our customers are at."

In response to guest pricing sensitivities, the resort has also rolled out cost reductions for a number of its most requested guest services and activities, including special meal plans, spa access, the Explorer's Kids' Club, golf, scuba outings, tennis and dining incentives at its sister hotel, The Fairmont Hamilton Princess in a bid to keep Bermuda's hospitality product competitive in the present market.

To drive room business, in April The Fairmont Southampton embarked on an innovative $99/99-Hour Sale that sold more than 14,000-room nights. In June the hotel joined several of Bermuda's other hotels in a 48-hour/50-percent off room sale, backed by the Department of Tourism, that netted 4,000 room nights, 903 of which were at The Fairmont Southampton.