The upscale Royal Westmoreland Resort, located off the West Coast, is being accused of monopolising the beach at Mullins, St Peter, with beach chairs for its guests.

John Beadle, who owns an apartment near Mullins, told the WEEKEND NATION that Royal Westmoreland, the new owners of the beach bar there, was placing its members-only sunbeds too far across the beach.

He could not even find space to put down a towel on what is supposed to be a public beach, Beadle, a British visitor, complained.

"At 8:30 in the morning you can see 160 sunbeds.
I counted them out across the beach with another 100 waiting to be put down and the locals have about 70 for rent. They take up the safe bathing area and they even have the chairs double rowed," he added.

Beadle, who comes
to Barbados four times
a year, said the chairs should be put down
on demand since it was not a private members' beach. He added he was forced to bathe where
the jet skis operated.

"Sometimes there are only two people and all those beds. When the cruise passengers come, the beach is crowded because it is a prime spot, but I pay property taxes and I want to use the beach as well. They should use it in a reasonable manner," he said.

Chief executive officer of Westmoreland, Greg Schofield, said the resort had spent $1/2 million refurbishing the beach bar, which has since been leased, and the safe bathing area. He said the number of chairs reflected the popularity of the beach.

"We have 90 chairs for members and the local people have some available for rental to the public. We set our rates above the locals so as
not to take over their business. There are six full-time staffers to service our guests and give them towels and drinks,"
he said.

Schofield added that after 9:30 a.m. the beach was full and the experience was one their guests enjoyed since they got the ideal Barbadian holiday atmosphere with the bar, the locals selling various items and the watersports.

"It is not a sterile experience. People are
on the beach and making a day of it . . . . The traditional beach bar brings everyone together," Schofield said.

He said even when the resort was at full occupancy, all their guests, along with those from Sugar Hill, could not be accommodated in the chairs because there were too many people.

Schofield said he would soon be putting back in a tap so people could wash the sand from their feet. Some local operators had complained about the removal of the tap.