The Loren Hotels group has submitted an in-principle planning application to restore the historic Elbow Beach Hotel.

It said that the proposal features a scaled-down design and is expected to maintain the site’s gardens while offering public facilities such as restrooms and dining.

Stephen King, the founder and chief executive of The Loren Hotels, said: “Our vision is to restore Elbow Beach as one of Bermuda's premier destinations while creating a resort that is environmentally responsible, economically sustainable and deeply connected to the local community.

“This project represents an opportunity to preserve the legacy of Elbow Beach while positioning it for long-term success.”

The Loren group bought the Paget hotel last year after the Elbow Beach Hotel closed its doors in early 2020.

It was announced last year that the developers planned to construct a 75-key building on an area occupied by tennis courts, closer to the waterfront than the hillside location where the former hotel is situated.

The project would have come with a combination of 27 estate homes and cottage-style accommodations, with the layout designed to mirror the lower-density design that proved successful at Pink Beach.

However, branding the latest plans as offering “a more mindful resort”, The Loren said that the proposed development “has been intentionally scaled to better align with today’s hospitality market and the surrounding neighbourhood”.

The latest submission proposes turning the hotel into a luxury site with 76 guest rooms and 22 detached villas that will operate as part of the resort’s rental inventory, with an anticipated opening in 2029 after “extensive reconstruction”.

In-principle planning approval would serve as a master plan for the site and the request includes the proposed land use, building density, height, conservation strategy, public access and approach to historic preservation, the company said.

It will include a full-service spa, a fitness centre, wellness programmes and racket sports.

Proposed dining experiences include a rooftop restaurant, a pool bar, a lounge and a casual beachside food truck, as well as the reopening of the beachfront restaurant, Mickey’s.

The Loren said that the master plan will work to preserve the site’s original Russell Page-inspired gardens.

Architecture will aim to reflect Bermuda’s natural limestone formations and traditional residential designs.

The plan includes redesigned roads and walkways to make the site more pedestrian-friendly and minimise vehicle traffic.

It also aims to restore and improve public access and amenities along Elbow Beach.

Later applications will address details around architecture, engineering, landscape and coastal stabilisation as well as other technical elements.

A spokeswoman for The Loren said revitalisation efforts would offer the public changing rooms and restrooms — maintained by the hotel — along the nearby Tribe Road 4B.

She added that the hotel building would be “lower-profile” and preserve the view of the sea for residents of the neighbouring Ocean Hills.

The spokeswoman said that the redevelopment would replace the property’s water system with modern infrastructure that did not give off ocean discharge.

It would look to remove asbestos and other hazardous materials from existing buildings.

The new plan was also designed to fit into the hotel group’s environmental sustainability programmes with the help of the group Roots Climate.

Construction is expected to bring employment opportunities, the spokeswoman explained, while the hotel itself would work to have a primarily Bermudian workforce supported by training and professional development programmes.

The Loren’s spokeswoman said: “Prior to submission, The Loren and its consultants engaged extensively with the Department of Planning, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, neighbouring property owners and other governmental, environmental and cultural stakeholders.

“Feedback from these consultations has been incorporated into the proposal.”

The planning application is available online, though the package contained minimal details at last check.

The redevelopment will be led by a team made up of The Loren Hotels, Sardis Developments, OBMI Architects, Onsite Engineering, Adwick Planning, Rego Sotheby’s International Realty and other Bermudian-based consultants and specialists.

The Elbow Beach Hotel, which was in operation for 118 years, had fallen into a state of decay by the time it went into liquidation in October 2023.

The Loren group said earlier that it planned to run the Elbow Beach Hotel and its redeveloped Pink Beach hotel property as a single hotel with two locations.

“The Loren looks forward to continuing dialogue with the community as the planning process advances and remains committed to delivering a development that honours the legacy of Elbow Beach while creating a sustainable future for Bermuda tourism,” the spokeswoman said.