It is the end of one era and the start of another for the Rosemont Guest Apartments, which boast a commanding hilltop view over the western approaches to Hamilton Harbour.

For the past 40 years the property has been in the hands of the Cyril Cooper family, but they have now sold up and passed stewardship to Neal and Samantha Stephens.

Twenty-two years working at The Reefs where he reached the position of general manager gives Mr. Stephens a strong background in the hospitality industry. His wife also has hotel degree and experience with interior design.

Together they intend to take the Rosemont Guest Apartments forward with an eye to increasing the occupancy levels particularly at weekends and during Bermudian holidays.

To a large degree the guest apartments cater for business and corporate clients, some of whom use them as a convenient weekday base before commuting back to their homes in North America.

They are also a popular choice with international companies looking for accommodation for new employees during their first month or two on the Island.

The location close to the heart of town means new arrivals do not necessarily have to worry about transport as they can walk into town or work. The apartments have their own kitchenettes for food preparation.

Holidaymakers also book to use the apartments as their vacation base.

Mr. Stephens said: ?This was an opportunity for us to own something for ourselves. We?ve known the Cooper family for a long time and they wanted to sell it a Bermudian who would run it as a hotel business rather than turn it into condominiums.?

And that is precisely what the Stephens intend to do with the 47-room complex on Rosemont Avenue. They expressed their grateful appreciation for the support they have already received from the Cyril Cooper family and from HSBC bank.

For the past few years the couple have been considering how to step-up to become owners of their own hospitality business, either on the Island or overseas.

The high level of corporate and business clients at the guest apartments has taken a lot of the seasonality concerns out of the business, but it does mean that apartments can be empty on Friday and Saturday evenings or during Bermudian holidays. Finding customers to plug those gaps is one of the goals the couple has identified.

Mr. Stephens added: ?There are some things that we would like to accomplish but we do not anticipate major changes. The formula that the Coopers had has been successful. We might tweak a few things.?