A new nine-storey hotel due to be built on the Par-la-Ville car park site in Hamilton is not certain to be a Ritz-Carlton, the world famous chain said last night.

Planning documents for the multi-million dollar scheme — which was granted a special development order (SDO) last December—- include the luxury hotel chain's name and developer Unified Resorts has said publicly it welcomed the opportunity to bring Ritz-Carlton to Bermuda. But Vivian Deuschl, Ritz-Carlton's corporate vice president for public relations, told The Royal Gazette that no contract had been signed committing the chain to the project.

"Speculation is really all that I can tell you that it is at this point," she said. "Discussions are always going on with developers and there could very well be discussions going on.

"Bermuda has been on and off the table for many years because it's such a wonderful destination. Even if there are discussions going on there is nothing confirmed."

The proposed hotel — opposite Bermuda Stock Exchange on the corner of Par-la-Ville Road and Church Street — would be the first development in Hamilton to break the city's seven-storey limit for buildings.

Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield granted the SDO last December to fast-track the project and construction is expected to start this year.

This newspaper contacted Ritz-Carlton yesterday after a local news website reported that the hotel plan could be in jeopardy because of a row about underground car parking.

The report suggested that Unified Resorts would have to build the car park at a cost of $25 million but the Corporation of Hamilton would benefit from any revenue.

When asked about the story, Ms Deuschl said: "There are no current plans for a hotel in Bermuda — (it's) still a rumour."

Unified Resorts director Donal Smith would not comment and Ted Adams, the company's president and chief executive officer, said: "I don't know about any problems. From our standpoint everything is fine. I have no idea what this is about."

Corporation of Hamilton secretary Kelly Miller said: "No issues have been raised by the developer with the Corporation." She said the Corporation would only benefit financially from car parking spaces which replaced the ones it would lose because of the development.