Island of Bryan


Island of Bryan is an HGTV Canada reality television series of renovation, home life, and business activities, premiering in Spring 2019. The show is similar to House of Bryan and Bryan Inc., two previous shows starring builder Bryan Baeumler, his wife Sarah, and their children; along with Bryan's apprentice Adam. The Baeumler family is renovating and restoring a tropical island beachfront resort, to operate as their own, that the Baeumler couple has bought by leveraging everything they have, and their final safety net.
The show became one of the top 5 most watched shows in several Canadian media markets in its first season; and #3 of all specialty television in Canada; and the highest rated show on HGTV Canada in over a decade.
Following its success in Canada, the series was picked up by HGTV U.S. to premiere on June 7, 2020. As the Baeumlers' previous series did not air widely in the United States, the show will air under the title Renovation Island.

Premise

The Baeumlers have bought Emerald Palms, a beachfront resort on South Andros island, the largest and least developed of the Bahamas islands. They have moved their entire family to the resort to live while they rebuild it, and hope to open within 6 months or lose it, without its cashflow. Emerald Palms has not operated for a decade.

Production history

In 2017, the Baeumlers vacationed on South Andros in the Bahamas. They found the abandoned resort, Emerald Palms, the original half-century old 18-room hotel and clubhouse; plus 22 villas, spa and beach bar added later, on a property; that had been renovated a few times since. The resort had closed down in 2011. When weather socked them in, they found the resort for sale on the internet. The resort is located 20 minutes from Nassau and an hour from Fort Lauderdale. They bought the resort, and starting living on a boat initially, and then moved into one of the 500-sqft. villas while renovating it. The couple left a management team back home to manage their businesses, while they work on the resort project. They originally planned to open the resort in May 2019. They started renovation work on the resort started in March 2018.
HGTV greenlit the TV series in 2017, succeeding the second season of Bryan Inc., with the same production company, Si Entertainment. Filming started in 2018 for the 2019 premiere. Island of Bryan premiered on 7 April 2019, in a 60-minute timeslot on HGTV Canada, to start a season of 13 episodes. The TV show marks the first time a HGTV Canada show renovated a site that was open for the public to visit. The Royal Bank of Canada has integrated into the series, with custom commercials advertising its products with the series stars in the commercial breaks. The series became a top 3 show in two Canadian media markets in May 2019. It was renewed for a second season. The show was a top 5 show in two Canadian media markets in June 2019. In May 2019, it was announced that the TV show would return in the winter, and cover the 6 months needed to complete renovations to the remaining portion of the resort, ending the series. Season 2 would be 8 episodes filling a 60-minute timeslot starting Winter 2020. It was revealed that season 1 became the #3 show in Canada for specialty television programming. With its #3 in Canada ratings, it became the highest rated show on HGTV Canada in over a decade.

Caerula Mar Club

Caerula Mar Club is an island resort located in Andros, Bahamas; on South Andros. The resort was named "Caerula Mar" in reference to the cerulean-coloured sea. Its stated philosophy is to have barefoot luxury for guests. As a luxury resort, initial pricing was between $350 and US$1100 per night. This is with the saga of seeing, acquiring, Phase 1 renovations, and Phase 1 grand opening occurring over a 2-year period. The resort has been designed around eco-friendliness, fair-trading, sourcing from sustainable farming producers.
The resort is located near Drigg's Hill, where the Drigg's Hill Dock, the local harbour is located. The local airport is Congo Town International Airport.

Resort history

The resort previously called Las Palmas Hotel, then Ritz Beach, then Emerald Beach Club, then Emerald Palms. It was built in the 1960s, and last operated 8 years before production on the show began. It contained a central hotel of 18 rooms and 22 villas. The oldest building, the hotel block, was completed in 1969, for the resort's original opening. Construction materials are shipped in to the local harbour, Drigg's Hill Dock.
During the show Island of Bryan, the Baeumlers turn the abandoned resort into Caerula Mar Club, which was initially planned to be completed in mid-May 2019, and opened in June 2019.
The business established by the Baeumlers by the end of the season is Caerula Mar Club resort. Its first season of business was to start in Summer 2019, originally anticipated as a mid-May opening. With the unanticipated delays and travails, opening was pushed, for a summer soft opening and a Phase I grand opening in fall 2019. The planned grand opening was November 1, 2019. It opens with a snackbar, bar, and restaurant; a spa and massage services.
At the time of the December 2019 Phase I grand opening, there were 18 hotel suites available, and 6 villas, in operation on the property, with four dining areas, both fine and casual. The opening represented the first new resort on the island in 2 decades.
In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resort had to close down.

Cast

The shows two main cast are Bryan Baeumler and Sarah Baeumler along with their family. The show also has other cast such as contractors and hotel staff.

Main cast

Overview

Season 1

Season 2