US$100M Radisson Blu Hotel to feature internationally-branded casino, helipads

…agreement already finalised with parent company – Roy Beepat

Chairman of the Giftland Group, Roy Beepat has announced plans to construct a Radisson Blu Hotel, which is part of an international chain of hotels in several destinations around the world, and the agreement is already finalised to offer this five-star package to Guyana.

While Beepat had announced the plans on Friday, he divulged some of the features which will encapsulate the ultramodern project. He noted that the US$100 million hotel will be constructed where the current Giftland Mall parking lot is located.
In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Beepat said that all agreements have been finalised with the parent company for the project to move forward. He said that he is, however, awaiting formal approval from Government before he sets timelines for the completion of this project.
“The hotel is really forward-thinking in terms of what we don’t have and what we need… …It’s a done deal,” Beepat related.
Radisson Hotels is an international chain headquartered in the United States. A division of the Radisson Hotel Group, it operates the brands Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Radisson Collection, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn by Radisson among others.
The hotel will span 12 floors with adequate space for hundreds of rooms, banquet and conference halls, parking, and popular restaurant brands such as Red Lobster and Olive Garden. In addition, he envisions that it will feature high-end gyms, business and presidential suites, helicopter pads, and even an internationally-branded casino.
On the aspect of financiers, the businessman said, “Actively, we cannot finance a US$100 million project. What I can say is that there are hundreds of companies out there…and once we get our paperwork done, financing is absolutely no problem.”
A few weeks ago, President Irfaan Ali said that his Administration is looking to have four new branded hotels constructed here over the next five years.
During an interview with Jamaica’s CEEN TV – “The Conversation”, noting that Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the hotels have already been requested. President Ali was at the time responding to a question from the host in relation to his plan to provide 50,000 jobs for citizens. However, he assured that while the petroleum sector has emerged as one of the most important to Guyana’s economy, the Government is focusing on expanding and making the traditional sectors more competitive.
“We have been focusing heavily on building the non-oil sector and that is where we will see a number of policies geared – towards making the non-oil sector more competitive, giving them comparative advantages … and ensuring that we build a knowledge economy that is driven by a strong technological backbone. These are things that form part of the broadened economic plan,” the Head of State was quoted as saying.
He said that revenues from the oil and gas sector would be invested in the agricultural, construction, tourism, manufacturing, and other sectors to boost competitiveness. The President added that greater emphasis would be placed on the construction sector, which would make up a greater segment of employment.
With these recourses, Government is seeking to significantly develop infrastructure. He pointed to the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge, the Corentyne River Bridge which would link Guyana to Suriname and the massive expansion of the road network in the country. There would be renewed focus on the agriculture sector by the opening up of new agricultural lands, the introduction of newer technologies and provision of relevant training to farmers so that they can become more competitive.
Additionally, citing planned investments in the housing sector, the President said the industry had greater leverage than most in terms of its spin-off effects of job creation and revenue.
The Guyana Marriott Hotel was officially opened in April 2015. It includes a total of 192 rooms and five suites across nine floors, and provided jobs for around 250 people and about 100 indirectly. The US$51 million project first launched in November 2011. (G12)