THE ABACOS, THE BAHAMAS (MAY 23, 2012) — Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts and the famed Green Turtle Club in the Bahamas announced today a new alliance between the two, naming the Club the inaugural member of the new Expedition Properties Portfolio by Guy Harvey Outpost. The alliance becomes effective immediately.
Making the announcement was Outpost President Mark Ellert and Club owners, Adam Showell and Ann Showell Mariner of Ocean City Maryland. Guy Harvey Outpost was founded by Ellert along with Dr. Guy Harvey and his long time associates Charles Forman and Bill Shedd to promote adventure travel, watersport recreation and sustainable tourism in unique destinations.
“We are extremely excited to launch the Expedition Properties Portfolio with the famed Green Turtle Club as our inaugural member hotel,” said Ellert. “Our intent with Expedition Properties is to showcase small independently owned properties in unique destinations that are focused on watersport recreation and whose owners are committed to customer service, sustainability and conservation. Given the Club’s legacy, the professionalism of its staff and dedication of its owners, I’m hard pressed to think of a better opportunity in the Bahamas than this,” he adds.
In commenting on their decision to team with Guy Harvey Outpost, Adam Showell and his sister Ann explained, “Guy Harvey embodies the personality of the Club, and its’ guests. His authenticity, commitment to excellence and passionate outreach to those of all ages and accomplishment are hallmarks of the Green Turtle Club.”
As an Expedition Property, Guy Harvey Outpost will market the Club and offer travel and booking services to its customers though it’s Outpost Travel Desk and central reservation office. “With this new alliance, we look forward to welcoming the world of Guy Harvey fans to their new Out-Island home, and know they’ll enjoy their stay with us,” added the Club’s General Manager Lynn Johnson.
Noting his enthusiasm for the new Outpost offering, Ellert said “Thirty degrees north and south of the equator, there are a lot of great properties with committed owners like Adam and Ann who share our vision of sustainability and hospitality. In growing the Expedition Properties Portfolio, our intent will be to spotlight these properties and encourage our customers to support them.” The firm recently announced its newest signature property, the Guy Harvey Outpost Resort on St. Pete Beach, Florida. “We expect the Expedition Properties Portfolio to become a significant footprint for our Guy Harvey Outpost brand. Ellert likens having the two resort branding products to fishing, “It’s the same water, we’ve just added a different rod for catching a different fish, and we’ll end up bringing more fish to the boat”.
“We’ll continue to emphasize the Club’s legacy of gracious hospitality and fine dining but now as an Expedition Property we’ll be better positioned to showcase its appeal to watersport enthusiasts, their friends and families all of whom are looking for those memorable top-of-class experiences that define the Outpost brand,” Showell explains. “By October 1st we intend to have completed some exciting new enhancements to the Club, and with our affiliation to Guy and his Outpost brand, it will be an exciting new chapter in the Club’s history.”
Green Turtle Cay enjoys a long and colorful history, with a reputation extending far beyond its three miles of shoreline. Settled in the 1770’s by American colonial Loyalists, the main settlement of New Plymouth offers a distinct 18th -Century New England feel with pastel-painted, clapboard gingerbread homes. With a shared heritage of treasure salvage, turtle farming and boat building, in the late 1800’s many of its early settlers relocated to Key West, which today is the sister city of New Plymouth. Adds Ellert, “there are many family trees in Key West that have roots in Green Turtle and we’re intending to promote that common ancestry to our customer base.”
“Green Turtle Cay is our new island-in the-stream,” said Outpost partner Bill Shedd, owner of AFTCO, one of the world’s premier fishing tackle companies and prominent marine conservationist. “In travelling last year to Green Turtle from my home in Southern California, I’m reminded that the Abaco Islands and Florida have a common history and bond defined by a life on and from these mesmerizing waters that are vibrant with marine life. I’m delighted Guy Harvey Outpost can be a part in protecting this important marine resource while sustaining the cultural history of the Abacos in years to come.”
The Green Turtle Club has been a fixture on Green Turtle Cay since 1964 when British naval architect Allan Charlesworth built a boathouse on the Club grounds, and visiting yachtsmen started a tradition of hanging a signed dollar bill on the wall to treat followers to a drink.
The Club sits on a picturesque harbor surrounded by some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. The hotel offers 31 guestrooms, a 40-slip marina and fuel dock, restaurant, bar/lounge and poolside bar. The Club hosts the annual Green Turtle Club Billfish Tournament, having just concluded its 25th Silver Anniversary last week. The Abacos’ Green Turtle Cay is just 70 minutes by air from South Florida into Treasure Cay International Airport, then a short 15-minute ferryboat ride to the Green Turtle Club.
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