Simon nodded as if this was an acceptable answer.
A shiny black car met them on the far side of customs and drove them the short distance to a jetty, where a sleek motor launch was waiting.
‘It will only take twenty minutes,’ said Connor, leading the way up the gangplank. ‘Plus it’s the best way to approach RedReef: absolutely spectacular, as you will see.’
Jim breathed a sigh of relief as the boat drew closer to Baruda. The sea had been a dazzling emerald for some distance from the shore, but as they neared the island, the vivid colour faded until it was gin clear, which only served to show off the pink-tinged whiteness of the sand. Connor hadn’t been wrong about the beauty of his resort, and for that Jim could be thankful; it had certainly been a risk inviting Simon out here sight unseen.
A uniformed waiter had been standing on the aft deck ready with cocktails for the VIP guests, and Jim had winced as Connor quickly gulped his down and gestured for another.
‘When in Rome, eh?’ he grinned.
Connor had been a ball of nervous energy ever since they had met at Teterboro airport in New Jersey for the flight, and had tried to steady himself with champagne on the plane. Jim was no psychologist, but even he knew that communicating your desperation to a potential buyer was a poor strategy.
As the boat docked at a wooden quayside, Connor offered Simon a hand to step up on to the jetty.
‘Welcome to RedReef,’ he said, sweeping an arm grandly towards the complex. ‘The finest luxury destination in the Caribbean.’
He really didn’t need the hyperbole. The resort did all the talking for itself. Built around a glistening lagoon, it was made up of a series of stand-alone villas, each facing the water, many with their own strip of private beach. Painted in candy colours, they had a traditional Caribbean feel. The shabby-chic look was intentional, noted Jim, taking in the deceptively high finish.
‘I thought we’d get you settled into your suites, then I’ll get Udo, the general manager, to give you the tour.’
As Jim and Simon travelled round the resort in a golf cart, Jim made a mental inventory. He could see Simon taking in the same details: the spa, restaurant, beachside bar and water sports centre. The fine details of the hotel – the bright hand-crafted Creole bed linens, the outdoor showers, the wood-panelled library stocked with books about the island – were all well done to produce an effect that was chic, casual and comfortable. The only problem was that it did not fit into Omari’s aesthetic at all.
‘So what do you think?’ asked Jim when Connor and the general manager had left them alone.
‘It’s a good location, that much I can see. But it’s not an Omari. It’s too rustic, too basic,’ Simon said, echoing Jim’s own concerns. ‘We’d have to pull it down and start again. The spec is good, but not the best, and the best is everything Omari represents.’
‘That Omari represents,’ said Jim slowly.
Simon frowned.
‘I’ve had an idea for a while, but coming here has brought it to the table.’
Simon was listening with interest.
‘I think we need to create a spin-off brand from Omari. A junior Omari. A feeder for the main brand, which represents the very best – and the highest price points – that the hotel industry has to offer.’
‘Keep talking.’
Jim’s thoughts gained momentum. ‘You know the client demographic of the Omari hotels – CEOs, high-net-worths – but I think there’s a class of luxury traveller that doesn’t want anything too lavish. I’m dating a girl at the moment. She’s twenty-seven and she likes the nice things in life, but it’s feeling the sand between her toes and drinking green organic smoothies that matter to her. She wants a ceiling fan, not air con; fresh, simple food, not complicated Michelin-starred meals.’
‘So we’re aiming at millennials?’
Jim had been a long-time admirer of Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost chain. Yes, its properties were luxurious, but they also had a bohemian hipness to them that appealed to rock stars and supermodels, and he could see the Omari group launching something similar.
‘I just think there is an opportunity for us in the market, a younger, lo-fi brand that uses the luxury of nature, and RedReef would be perfect as our debut resort. It needs very little work, purely cosmetic stuff. It closes anyway for hurricane season in a couple of weeks. We can do a soft launch in December, give the new brand a fanfare after we’ve opened Casa D’Or.’
‘Ambitious.’
‘You know me.’
Simon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘What do you think about the low occupancy rates?’
‘Well there’s obviously room for improvement, but that’s one of the reasons why this hotel interests me.’
‘And the lack of an international airport on the island?’
‘Being a little bit off the beaten tracks fits in with the ethos of the brand.’