An appointment system will be put in place for the giveaway of furnishings at the Fairmont Southampton, it has been announced.

A “first-come, first-served” giveaway was scheduled to take place at the hotel earlier this month but it was cancelled that morning amid safety concerns after a crowd jammed up against the entrance.

A spokeswoman for the hotel said that it had partnered with Ptix to establish an appointment-based system to ensure an “organised and safe experience for all participants”.

“This innovative system will allow selected recipients to make an appointment and choose up to three items each, streamlining the distribution and ensuring fairness for all,” the spokeswoman said.

“We are pleased to partner with Ptix, Bermuda's largest ticketing and solutions-based platform, to facilitate our Furniture Giveaway. Their expertise in managing large-scale events and appointment-based systems is invaluable in ensuring a fair and orderly process for all participants.”

A Ptix spokesman added that the company was proud to collaborate to ensure a smooth and safe giveaway process.

“Our longstanding relationship with the hotel as a host location for many Ptix events has been invaluable over the years and we look forward to its continuation post reopening," the spokesman said.

Furniture collection appointments will run from February 20 to 22 between 10am and 6pm.

However, the hotel announced that the first day of the giveaway would be reserved exclusively for seniors.

Appointments can be made online between February 5 and 9 online through FairmontSouthamptonBermuda.com or by calling the Ptix customer care line at 278-1500 between 10am and 6pm.

The registration will require your name, an e-mail address to deliver the ticket to and phone number. Residents should limit appointments to one per household.

When making an appointment, residents can choose a limited number of listed items.

Once an appointment is confirmed, Ptix will e-mail a ticket, which will be required for entry at the hotel and validating the removal of the selected items.

Recipients must collect items from the Front Lobby at their scheduled time, adhering to a strict “no-holds” policy. All transportation arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the recipients.

The hotel had originally scheduled to give away items on January 23 but had to go back to the drawing board after it was overwhelmed by the turnout.

Items such as king-size mattresses and television sets brought out a crowd from early in the day, growing to an estimated 1,000 shortly before the hotel was to open at noon.

The hotel, which is about to undergo a major overhaul, also had a significant volume of furniture stacked in the foyer for distribution.

The queue became crowded and disorganised at the front, while a line of cars packed the resort’s driveway and spilt on to South Road.