people will be able to walk to the majority of the city's offices -- is a very positive boost for Bermuda.

There is no doubt that today's Hamilton, which is a major international company site, needs a business hotel. The original plans for the Bermudiana Hotel site included a top small business hotel. We can only hope that those who operate the hotel will provide what businessmen so often claim Bermuda lacks, a hotel with full business services.

The announcement of this plan will have been something of a surprise to a great number of people. The Corporation of Hamilton has managed to keep its discussions over plans for the Par-La-Ville Car Park site very quiet. However it seems to us that people have seen a need and moved to fill it and that of the schemes considered, the Corporation has wisely chosen the one of most benefit to all of Bermuda.

It is very encouraging to see the Corporation in these difficult tourism times moving constructively. Yes, this is designed as a business hotel, but these people are visitors too and doubtless will contribute to the beleagured retail economy. We have to remember that this week people saw businessmen bound for the Airport loaded with Bermuda shoppping bags getting into taxis outside a major international company.

It is also very good to see the City taking note of the importance of the open city sites which can contribute a great deal more to Bermuda than parking cars. Both the Par-La-Ville Park hotel and the proposed theatre at City Hall Car Park will have car parking underground and while that is very expensive, it is the only way for Bermuda's towns to go since land is so limited. Now that the Corporation of Hamilton is making these decisions, we can only hope that they will keep moving and decide to use the Hamilton harbourside for something more productive and more attractive than car parks.

Although, of course, no-one has yet seen the architectural drawings, we understand that every attempt will be made to have the hotel fit in with the amenities of Hamilton. It may well front on Par-la-Ville Road with an appropriate setback and the site will be landscaped to provide green areas including a walk through from Church Street to Par-la-Ville gardens.

Negotiations for the hotel are going on with TG International Investments Ltd.

in Hamilton and the president, Glynn Shouldice has been quoted as saying: "The spirit of the project is to work hand-in-hand with the planners and the Corporation because the building will have to stand the test of time. We want it to be the focal point of the City and it has got to be an imaginative building that will still be sensitive to its surroundings.'' Sounds great to us.