plans even grander, its developer disclosed yesterday.

The Royal Gazette understands the surprise move could lead to the scrapping of the existing plans currently before the Planning Department. But this was strongly denied by Elbow Beach Hotel Development Company managing director Mr.

John Jefferis.

"The owners are committed to providing Bermuda with the best hotel facilities in the world,'' Mr. Jefferis said. "The plans are being reworked with a view to adding more. There are no plans to scrap them.'' He said the new plans could include a "superior spa'' and a huge, luxuriously landscaped pool.

Mr. Jefferis said that while in Bermuda last month, the owners, who include an Arab prince, decided there was room for even more amenities.

The chief architect of the multi-million dollar plans, Mr. Michael Phillips of Cooper and Gardner, admitted yesterday his services had been put on hold.

However, he said it had not been suggested the plans he has worked on this past year will be dropped.

He said it was his understanding the firm's services were put on hold in order for the hotel's owners and developer to "decide how best to reconcile the positions of the objectors''.

"It was getting very expensive to the hotel for us to keep doing sketches which may end up redundant,'' Mr. Phillips said.

But a source maintained that there was a "very real possibility'' the plans are on the way out.

Mr. Jefferis said the hotel's owners had still not decided on whether they would be toning down their redevelopment plans, which include 11 "palace suites'' in a small hotel on the beach, a six-storey 120-room extension with a convention centre on the ground floor and 39 super-luxury condominiums.

A Planning Department spokesman said officers continued to work with the hotel this week to negotiate revisions to the plans to appease objectors.

The objectors include the National Trust, two neighbouring hotel properties and Government -- although it has voiced only two objections: the height of the extension and the "palace suites'' being built on the dunes.

Mr. Jefferis said the owners have not ruled out moving the "palace suites'' off the dunes, nor dropping the height of the six-storey extension. Other objections centre on lack of parking, the density of the condo development and the fact that permission has been given to sell the units to non-Bermudians.

The hotel had counted on getting Development Applications Approval by early August.

Mr. Jefferis, angered by all the objections, has said the owners are not prepared, considering the economic climate, to "just throw money into the Island without a fair chance of the project being financially viable''.

Mr. John Jefferis.