Enhancing the hotel experience for weekend guests is one of the first things the new Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel general manager Jonathan Crellin is seeking to achieve.

Bringing 20 years hospitality experience to the Island, he has also tuned in to the chatter of guests in the restaurants, bar and corridors of the hotel to hear what they think of the hotel and its service and pick up ideas about how to change things to suit their desires.

One such bar conversation has him thinking about installing a TV screen in the bar or lobby area where guests can watch the latest news or sports.

Mr. Crellin sees scope for weekend activities such as a horticultural tour with the hotel's gardener, maybe some kind of movie show for guests or "a few other little things".

He said: "We need to add a few bells and whistles to enhance the weekend experience. My job is to raise the bar and take the hotel to the next level."

In the past few years he oversaw a $35 million renovation and upgrade at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, where he has was a member of staff for ten years working in sales and marketing and operations before taking over as general manager.

He is excited to now be running a hotel in Bermuda, a place he has visited in three separate occasions previously and an Island he reports is held in high regard by North Americans.

"Bermuda is exactly how people think of it. Everyone's impression of Bermuda is of a beautiful island, clean beaches, friendly people and it being the nicest of all the islands," said Mr. Crellin.

"It's easy to get to because of the increasing air service, there is golfing, shopping and, unlike some other offshore destinations, it is safe."

Mr. Crellin, his wife Seana and one-year-old daughter Charlotte are getting to grips with life on the Island and appreciating the warm temperatures compared to the near zero chill of winter in Boston.

Apart from enhancing the weekend experience for guests the new general manager is aware of the potential Bermuda has to grow as a tourism destination and has heard talk of other airlines, such as Westjet, opening up further North American routes to the Island, and even of JetBlue possibly adding Boston as a destination to compliment its New York service.

Those initiatives could only be positive for the hotel and the Island in general although he concedes there has to be a co-ordinated effort between hotels, airlines and the country to put together packages and deals to entice extra visitors.

Aware of the criticism in some quarters levelled at the 10.1 percent increase in air arrivals this year up to the end of September, Mr. Crellin said the extra 22,000 visitors was a move in the right direction, adding: "Hopefully those 22,000 will come back or perhaps each tell five other people to come and visit and spread the word.

And Mr. Crellin said, from the Fairmont Hamilton's point of view, things are looking promising already for 2007 with a strong level of advance group bookings.