‘Renovation Island’: Bryan Baeumler Makes the Case for Selling Caerula Mar
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler don’t see eye-to-eye on the future of Caerula Mar Club. The HGTV stars have received an offer on their Bahamas resort. On the latest episode of Renovation Island, Bryan argued that it might be time to let go of the property. But Sarah has mixed feelings about selling.
The Baeumlers received an offer on their ‘Renovation Island’ resort
The Baeumlers spent years renovating a decrepit resort on South Andros Island and turning it into a luxury travel destination. They weren’t necessarily thinking about selling the hotel, especially so soon after completing the renovation. But a potential buyer recently reached out with a very compelling offer.
“The meeting at the hotel went really well,” Bryan shared in the Oct. 9 episode of Renovation Island. “The potential buyers actually seemed very interested. But selling this hotel is a big decision. It’s been a huge part of our life.”
“At this point, we really have to do some soul searching and really make some big decisions that will affect a lot of things,” he added.
“Bryan and I have had a lot of conversations about whether or not we want to sell, whether or not this is the right time to sell, whether or not we want this to be a legacy project for our children to one day take over,” Sarah said.
Bryan Baeumler makes the case for selling Caerula Mar
After the meeting, Bryan and Sarah sat down to discuss the possibility of selling Caerula Mar. Bryan feels that they should seize the opportunity to unload the resort.
“It was three years of home, but it’s also a business,” he said to Sarah as they discussed their next move. “I’m back and forth but I’m leaning more towards taking the deal.”
Now that he and Sarah are in their 40s, Bryan thinks it’s time to star getting more conservative in terms of finances and business. While the resort is doing well now, there’s always the chance that things could take a turn for the worse.
“You know, metaphorically speaking, the ocean is full of sharks,” he said. “There’s always a hurricane right over the horizon.”
“I would rather sell it and leave on a high note, on a happy note, than wait until that shine starts to rub off,” Bryan said.
Sarah Baeumler is emotionally attached to the resort
Sarah said she understood where Bryan was coming from as far as wanting to sell the resort.
“He’s really looking at it from a risk perspective and what the next three, five, 10 years look like for us,” she said.
Still, Sarah argues that letting go of Careula Mar isn’t just be a business decision.
“This project was different than anything we’d ever done before because it really was our personal life and our business life together,” she pointed out.
The couple’s four children spent several years of their childhood in the Bahamas, and they’re attached to the resort and South Andros Island. For Sarah, it doesn’t feel like they’ve had enough time to enjoy what they’ve built.
“We really haven’t given the years we thought we would of owning it and operating it and enjoy[inhg the moments we have with the people here on the island,” she said.
If the couple does decide to sell, choosing a new owner won’t be easy.
“If we were ever, ever going to consider selling the hotel, Bryan and I would be very invested in who the future owner was,” Sarah said. “And I think that’s obviously because this is our baby. This feels like another child that we’re raising.”
“I’d want somebody that wants to be part of this community, this culture, that wants to appreciate all that the Bahamas has to offer,” she added.
New episodes of Renovation Island air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV. Episodes also stream on discovery+.
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