Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 09, 2012 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Do we need the proposed Marriott-branded hotel that the former government had in mind? Is such a project feasible given the many existing hotels and the poor occupancy that they enjoy at present?
One person who feels most definitely that Guyana does not need this multi- billion dollar facility that was supposed to be one of the major economic initiatives of the Jagdeo administration, is the former president’s fiercest critic, Mr. Glenn Lall, the publisher of Kaieteur News.
He is adamant that there is much wrong about this project. He insists that it is not viable and is willing to put his assets where his mouth is.
Glenn Lall made it known in no uncertain manner that he was willing to give away Kaieteur News if anyone could convince him that this hotel will be viable. He says he knows why this hotel is being built but his explanation, for obvious reasons, cannot be mentioned here.
He does, however, have points about the viability of this proposed hotel. Guyana already has some excellent hotels and these hotels have not been doing well because of low occupancy rates.
There are also numerous other hotels and guesthouses which are white elephants, built after the investors were led to believe that Cricket World Cup would transform the economy of Guyana and that there would be great demand for hospitality services. That was a pipedream that has faded as fast as it came, except that many persons are now poorer and indebted because of it.
The government, in fact, was even forced to lend money to two hotels so that they could be completed in time for Cricket World Cup 2007. Five years onwards, the debt has been repaid, but one of the hotels had to be sold to a foreign grouping.
There was a huge public outcry over the fact that the government lent monies to that hotel which was completed in time and which is one of the prime hotels in Guyana.
Similar dissatisfaction was not expressed in relation to the monies lent to the second hotel which even today remains a mere shell. That is the nature of our country’s politics. A loan to one hotel attracts a whirlwind of criticism because of who its owner is, but a loan to a second hotel was not criticised.
It is this sort of hypocrisy by critics of the government and by some members of the public that has typified a great deal of public discourse in Guyana.
This country does not need such another major hotel because there are existing hotels that are not doing well and that are of suitable standards for the country. International leaders stayed at the existing hotels in Guyana and the Queen also came and stayed at one of our local hotels.
If our existing rooms are good enough for Heads-of-State and for the Queen, they are good enough for anyone and since there is such low occupancy within the hospitality sector with at least two major resorts having had to be put up for sale and others losing money rapidly, there is no need to add to the further demise of tourism operators by bringing another hotel to Guyana.
Even more contentious, of course, is the fact that it was proposed that public funds be pumped into this project. This should be a non-starter and in fact the monies that were expended in relaying sewage lines specifically for this hotel should never have been spent in the first place.
It is time that the Donald Ramotar administration signals the end of this plan. If there is a foreign consortium that wishes to proceed to build the hotel, it is all well and good. They should do so, but not expect any government equity into the project. No state funds should be used for this project, period. And furthermore, no concessions should be granted.
There are grave reservations about this plan to build a Marriott-branded hotel and one person who strongly believes that this project should not have government backing is the publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall.
And when it comes to business, Glenn Lall knows more than a thing or two.
He has indicated that with this particular hotel project he smells a rat. Whether it is big one or a small one, only he can say.
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