The long-awaited opening of the Baha Mar mega-resort in Nassau, Bahamas, is scheduled for March 27. Last October, Baha Mar said the opening of the $3.5 billion complex would be postponed to late spring 2015.

The comprehensive sustainability audit process conducted at IBEROSTAR Playa Mita has recognized the efforts of IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts to operate a responsible tourism development while minimizing impacts on the environment.

Normally, a half a million dollar renovation wouldn’t seem like much. When the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was built for $3.5 Billion, the Tropicana was just completing a $180 million renovation and that seemed like peanuts for a property that had over 1,600 rooms. This boutique hotel and marina is located in the upper Florida Keys in Islamorada.

The Bahamas Ministry of Finance in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism repealed the 10 percent hotel tax and replaced it with a 7.5 percent value added tax. The VAT will be charged on hotels and home rentals as well as services purchased by guests.