Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas

China is funding a US$3.4 billion gaming and entertainment resort in the Bahamas that is being billed as the largest of its kind in the Caribbean.

Baha Mar is an unprecedented resort development in The Bahamas that captures the true spirit of the island and the region, while bringing together the most prestigious collection of hospitality brands in the world, to create a leading resort destination. The project represents the largest single-phase hospitality investment in the Caribbean and a one-of-a-kind destination resort experience in its operation, range of top-shelf accommodations, services and amenities, and true-to-The Bahamas setting and design. The 1,000-acre Baha Mar resort is slated to open in late 2014.

The showpiece of the project will be a 100,000-square-foot casino, which will be the Caribbean's largest, its developers claim. The resort will also include a 50,000-square-foot upscale retail strip, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature championship golf course and a 200,000-square-foot convention center. A 20-acre water park and three spas are being planned on the Bahamian Riviera, along 3,000 feet of pristine beach. A cluster of hotels run by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Morgans Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and an unnamed casino hotel promises to create 2,250 new rooms. The Baha Mar resort is expected to create 12,000 new jobs in The Bahamas and contribute to a 10 percent spike in the Bahamian gross domestic product.