A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on the construction of the US$3.4bn (£2.1bn) Baha Mar resort development in the Bahamas.

The resort has partnered with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) to deliver the complex, which will be built in one phase and is due to open in late 2014. Baha Mar is to feature a 700-room convention hotel operated by Hyatt Hotels Corporation, which will boast the Caribbean's largest destination spa.

More than 5 acres (2 hectares) of convention and meeting facilities will also be provided as part of the property, centrally located in the Baha Mar corridor - the Podium. Elsewhere, a 200-room luxury hotel operated by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts will include chef-branded restaurants and a signature spa.

Morgans Hotel Group has been signed up to operate a third property - a 300-room lifestyle hotel, which will also feature a signature spa, as well as a fitness centre and 'ultra lounges'. A 1,000-room hotel and casino resort and a Jack Nicklaus-designed, 18-hole signature golf course are also proposed, while a 700-room Sheraton property is already in place.

Other facilities will include a 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) retail village; a 20-acre (8.1-hectare) eco-water park and pool experience. Baha Mar chair and chief executive officer Sarkis Izmirlian said: "Baha Mar, born from a singular vision, is surprisingly breathtaking in its magnitude.

"The vision of Baha Mar started more than 5 years ago with a plan to deliver an authentic Caribbean experience which combined the essence and spirit of The Bahamas with the distinction of luxury resorts." In addition to supplying workers to supplement Bahamian labour, CSCEC has invested US$150m (£92.4m) in the Baha Mar scheme.