The Department of Immigration is investigating a slew of complaints about the way Bermudians have allegedly been treated by the new management at the Coco Reef Hotel.

Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Rozy Azhar confirmed her department is "very concerned" about the number of complaints from staff at the former Stonington Beach Hotel and will consider these when looking at work permit applications for foreign staff.

Coco Reef manager Andrea Jennings admitted yesterday that Immigration was investigating a number of complaints from former and current members of staff and was also probing her situation.

The Trinidadian said she had been under investigation from the day she arrived in Bermuda last September after a manager at the hotel said she was "pretending to be a nice person" but was not treating staff well.

Ms Jennings said the hotel had to run "24/7" which meant staff had to be prepared to work weekends, evenings and public holidays, and to provide proper service to guests.

Some complaints had come from Bermudians who didn't get jobs, she said, but Immigration had told the hotel they could continue submitting applications for work permits for overseas staff.

In a statement, Ms Azhar said: "We cannot comment on individual cases, however, I can state that the Department of Immigration is very concerned about the number of complaints regarding the Coco Reef Hotel that have been received... from Bermudians, in addition to those being reported in the media.

"Needless to say, we are investigating these complaints and we will ensure, when considering any work permit applications submitted by the Coco Reef Hotel, that no Bermudians are being disadvantaged."

Former Elbow Beach manager John Jefferis took over the Government-owned hotel in June last year after signing a lease which was heavily criticised by Auditor General Larry Dennis as so unfair it should have been put back out to tender.

This was because Mr. Jefferis dramatically renegotiated the terms after he was selected to more than double the length of the lease, acquire land and ocean-front cottages that were not on offer, include a five-year rent holiday and terms which save him millions of dollars, and was given permission to build and sell condominiums which were not specified when the lease went to tender.

The former money-losing hotel, whose remit was to train Bermudians in the hospitality industry, is no longer subsidised by the taxpayer and is now run as a profit making business.

Ms Jennings, told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "We have met with the Department of Immigration and they have informed us they have received complaints from members of staff and past members and they have asked questions and investigated what happened and said they will further investigate."

She added: "Immigration did not indicate where the complaints came from. I said I am here to do a job to give the best I can to Bermuda and to our customers as well because that is what they deserve."