two major hotels close for the winter.

The closures, of Marriott's Castle Harbour and Sonesta Beach, mean hundreds of workers will be laid off.

Together the hotels have more than 800 rooms, from an Island total of just over 4,000.

The Sonesta Beach shutdown -- for the third winter in a row -- is to allow a $5.3 million renovation, including the creation a new boiler room, the fitting of sprinklers in all guest rooms, the redecoration of corridors and stairwells and the "revamping'' of restaurants and kitchens.

Castle Harbour will improve its sewage and fresh water systems, but manager Mr. Roger Borsink has admitted the closure is due to poor business forecasts.

About 350 Marriott workers will be laid off.

Sonesta president Mr. David Boyd said it was not possible to say precisely how many of his hotel's 360 staff would be laid off.

But work of some kind had been offered to all employees, he said. "No-one who wanted to work has been denied the opportunity. But that doesn't mean they will get full employment.'' He stressed that even if the hotel had been open, full employment would not have been available because of low occupancy.

Work being done by employees included general labouring, house-keeping, painting and fixing locks. Foreign workers were being kept to a minimum.

Sonesta will be closed until March 8, and the Castle Harbour until February 6.

Smaller properties are also closing during the winter, including the Harmony Club, the Somerset Bridge and the Palm Reef.

Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge has said other properties would pick up business lost by the closed major hotels.

But last night his opposite number, PLP MP Mr. David Allen repeated his call for Government to arrange closures to be staggered, and to provide more tax breaks to persuade hotels to stay open.

"These closures send a very negative message -- as if Bermuda is closed for the winter,'' he said.