The reopening date for the Four Seasons Nevis has changed for the fourth time.

The new date now is Feb. 5, pushed back from Nov. 1 due to construction delays, damage assessments and a change in ownership.

The 196-room resort has been closed since last October due to extensive damage caused by Hurricane Omar.

"Construction did not begin until June, but now we have two shifts working seven days a week," said Vo Tomulich, the resort's director of marketing.

Most of the work will be completed by December, but the resort is allowing for "extra time to get the staff back on board and give us a cushion in case of weather delays," he said.

Last week, tropical storms Ana and Claudette as well as Hurricane Bill had no impact except rain.

Reservation lines will open this fall, Tomulich said. "Right now, if someone calls wanting to book, we take their names, quote them the rates but advise them not to book air until our reservations officially open."

The lead rate for a moutainview room in February is $595 per room, per night, double. The same room in the off season will start at $295.

"These rates are not much different than our 2008 rates at the same time of year. Our lead rate dropped a bit, and the off-season rate is about the same," Tomulich said.

The Nevis resort will offer a number of packages in 2010, including a grand reopening package. The resort’s website will post additional information on rates and packages as it becomes available.

Most of the damage to the Four Seasons property occurred when the lower level of rooms near the shoreline, which accounted for 50% of inventory, were flooded as were the three restaurants, spa and fitness center.

The pool, which cracked during Hurricane Lenny in 1999, was not damaged, and the beach area "actually got larger after Omar," according to Tomulich.

The golf course and spa, which remained open for residents and Nevis visitors through April, are now closed but will reopen when the resort does.

Four Seasons plans to rehire as many of its 650 resort employees as possible, Tomulich said. Andrew Humphries remains as general manager.

The 60 villas that make up the Four Seasons Residences were unharmed by Omar. The villas are independently owned and operated.

"Right now they are free-standing villas not under the Four Seasons flag, but once the resort reopens, we will resume management as a Four Seasons product," Tomulich said.

The Four Seasons Nevis opened in 1991 as the first five-star property in the Caribbean and the first resort anywhere for Four Seasons, which today has 40 resorts in its 80-property inventory.

Nevis is Four Seasons' only Caribbean resort, since its Bahamas resort closed in May. Sandals purchased that property on Aug. 20 and will reopen it as Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas on Jan. 22.

Construction is slated to resume this fall on the Four Seasons Barbados, now that the owner has secured new financing, Tomulich said.