Around ten individuals and organisations from Bermuda and overseas have expressed an interest in running the Stonington Beach Hotel.

The Royal Gazette has learned that Bermuda Resort Hotels, which owns the Harmony Club, Surf Side, and the under-construction Wharf executive suite hotel, is planning to submit a bid to manage the hotel.

Stonington is owned by Bermuda College and is used for training Bermudians for careers in the hospitality industry.

The College had advertised for companies and individuals to come up with plans to either manage all or part of the hotel or to take over the training course.

College President Dr. Michael Orenduff told The Royal Gazette yesterday that three or four firm proposals have already been received, although he hoped to have a dozen when the deadline for submissions ends on September 15.

One is from a Bermudian acting on behalf of someone overseas, another is from a Bermudian who is living abroad, said Dr. Orenduff.

A training institute from Canada and a large international American hotel chain are among the ten which have made enquiries, he said.

"We've had quite a few contact us asking questions or wanting to ascertain where they send their proposals. I've received a trickle of proposals so far, three or four, but I am hoping the people making the inquiries are hoping to make submissions," he said.

"I'm hoping to have around a dozen proposals. It may not be that many, but I'm satisfied so far."

Bermuda Resort Hotels confirmed yesterday that it will be submitting a proposal to run Stonington.

When asked yesterday by The Royal Gazette if Bermuda Resort Hotels was interested, company president and chief executive officer Naval Mehra said: "We are very interested in talking to Stonington and we will be submitting a proposal to them."