Celebrities and millionaires are in the running to buy the closed White Sands Hotel, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Six parties have expressed a continuing interest in the South Shore, Paget, property which has been shut since going into receivership in March.

Receiver D. Geoffrey Hunter of PricewaterhouseCoopers would not disclose the names of the celebrities and "high net worth individuals", because they have requested their identity remain secret, but he said they were based both in Bermuda and overseas.

Mr. Hunter revealed that one wealthy individual from the east coast of the United States wanted to turn the entire 32 room hotel into a private home, but this was rejected because the property is zoned for tourism.

When asked who was still interested in the property, Mr. Hunter said: "Celebrities and high net worth individuals, but I would not want to disclose any particulars due to a confidentiality request from those individuals resident on the Island who have requested it."

The hotel closed after Bank of Butterfield called in the receivers when controversial American owner James M. Dwyer could not keep up his payments.

The hotel has been on the market since then and the receiver had hoped to have it sold and open for business this summer, but a deal fell through.

Among the proposals put forward by those still interested is to turn the hotel into a spa and upmarket medical recovery centre open to tourist guests.

Mr. Hunter told The Royal Gazette: "We have a number of interested purchasers but we have to find the balance in terms of what sort of tourism development makes sense.

"One proposition is to make it into a high-end spa and medical recovery centre, and that would require spending millions of dollars on the property.

"It will continue to be a tourist property, but it is a matter of what aspects of tourist use would make the most economic use for the property while keeping it in the tourist market."

"Six people have continued to have an interest and the depth of interest has increased insofar as all are putting in plans for some kind of expenditure going into the property," said Mr. Hunter.

"One individual wanted the property for his own personal use. We have an individual represented on the Island looking at the property for personal use but that proposition was rejected as unsuitable."