Jobs covering more than 20 positions at the Fairmont Southampton were advertised this week when the resort also launched a site where service providers can put themselves forward for contracts.

The digital vendor RFP [request for proposals] hub was introduced as an official platform for businesses and independent workers to collaborate with the hotel.

It presented requests for proposals ranging from event and experience planning to audiovisual opportunities.

Kiaran MacDonald, a regional vice-president with the hotel management company, said: “As we prepare for reopening, we are reimagining not only our physical spaces but also how we collaborate with our partners.

“The new RFP hub allows us to engage with vendors in a more transparent, efficient and strategic way, ensuring that every service supporting our guests meets the same world-class standards as the resort itself.”

Employment advertisements ran in The Royal Gazette this week and included opportunities for kitchen and restaurant staff.

The 22 positions also covered those of executive chef, senior chef de partie, beverage manager, stewarding and set-up supervisor, mixologist, maître d’, and host or hostess.

The iconic hotel, which closed its doors in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to reopen in August after extensive renovations totalling about $550 million.

A spokesman said this week: “We’re encouraged by the level of interest as we prepare for Fairmont Southampton’s next chapter.

“While timelines are still being finalised, our focus is clear for an anticipated August reopening.

“All early recruitment and engagement activity is intentionally centred on Bermudians first, creating long-term career pathways, development opportunities and sustainable employment across a wide range of disciplines as the resort returns.

“This approach extends beyond direct hiring.”

He added that the vendor RFP hub highlighted a commitment to work with Bermudian businesses and “community-based partners” as part of the reopening process.

The spokesman said: “Together, these efforts reflect a phased, responsible ramp-up that prioritises local talent, local enterprise and meaningful economic participation within the community.”

Five guest experience categories were listed on the vendor hub today, including an opportunity for exclusive guest transportation partners to offer luxury transfers and group transportation across the island for more than 70,000 guests a year.

Electric car hires are expected to offer environmentally friendly travel options and on-site rentals.

The website invited “delivery partners” who specialise in activity co-ordination, event decor design, gifts and entertainment to help create celebrations and experiences for visitors.

These businesses would work with the Fairmont Southampton through Discover Bermuda DMC.

A destination experience management platform was called on to also work with Discover Bermuda DMC and create a digital platform where guests can make reservations.

Another opportunity was for an in-house audiovisual service provider who could provide “world-class production across meetings, wedding and destination events”.

Additional RFPs will be made available for childcare services, in-room entertainment, floral and botanical design, mobile communications, public area cleaning and watersports.

A spokesman for the hotel said the partnerships will help to “shape Fairmont Southampton’s reopening and long-term guest experience”.

He added: “The vendor RFP hub provides a transparent, efficient pathway for building high-performing collaborations as the resort prepares to welcome the world back to one of Bermuda’s most iconic destinations.”

The Fairmont Southampton employed about 750 workers before its closure.

Although the hotel was once expected to reopen in April 2022, redevelopment did not break ground until February 2024.

Under the Fairmont Southampton Hotel Act 2023, the business would be entitled to a rebate on land tax paid during the period from six years after it reopens to the fifteenth anniversary of its reopening, as long as it is confirmed in writing that at least 70 per cent of the hotel’s staff are Bermudian.