US$12.7M hotel & theme park to be built at Canal No 2 Polder

…features 200-Ft wave pool, petting zoo

Local investors are seeking environmental authorisation to build a five-storey hotel and theme park in Middlesex Village at Canal No Two Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD), a multi-purpose facility that, once completed, will feature movie theatres, a tennis court and a 200-foot-long wave pool.
According to the project summary submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Skyline Contracting Services and developer Krishna Persaud are currently in phase one of developing this project which is being built on 37.8 acres of land at a cost of US$12.7 million.
Phase one involves the construction of the five-storey, 59 room hotel which will include a presidential suite, eight deluxe suites, conference hall and rooftop deck. Phase one also includes a tennis court which will be behind the hotel and accessible for guests and patrons, as well as a strip mall with fast food franchises, gym and two movie theatres.

“Phase II which is expected to follow will see the construction of a Wave Pool and the installation of Water Park Slides. The Wave Pool which will be located aback the hotel will be 200 feet by 30 feet.”
“This pool will be equipped with a compression jet system to create artificial waves similar to those in the ocean. This area which will have a bar and entertainment systems will be equipped with lounge chairs,” the project document states.
In Phase Three, there will be the construction and subsequent operation of a theme park featuring rides, snack and confectionary bars and a movie theatre. There will also be 15,000 square feet surrounding a fountain pond.
“Last but not least, the final phase (Phase IV), will see the construction and operation of a recreational park, garden and petting zoo and the conclusion of all landscaping works,” it was further explained.
Meanwhile, the document goes on to gives reasons for selecting the location. It was pointed out that the economic impact on the surrounding community will be significant. Additionally, it was projected that annual revenue will be around $19 million.
“Canal No. 2 Polder is largely a rural agricultural community physically laid out for significant agricultural production. Each property has a portion that is closer to the roadway used for dwellings (called homesteads) and another portion (called farmlands) at the back of the homestead – extending all the way to the main irrigation/ drainage canal dams.”
“Owing largely to the prohibitive nature of the economic costs associated with unlocking the economic potential of the farmland portion of these properties, many of these lands are either partially utilised, rented out, or simply leg unutilised and overgrown with vegetation,” the developer explained.
Back in 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government had invited expressions of interest for the construction of hotels, including globally recognised brands. Despite criticism at the time, the decision proved successful as it facilitated the growth of the sector and laid the foundation for the economic boom in the tourism industry.
The continued growth of the hospitality sector has been fueled by significant private sector investments, with more than $50 billion injected into hotels, resorts, local airlines, and malls between 2020 and 2024. The private sector has responded with confidence, adding four new hotels and 561 new rooms to the national stock.
As a matter of fact, within the next four years, the Government is expecting an influx of new investments in the hospitality sector as the economy expands, whereby some 15 hotels will be constructed, bringing thousands of rooms on stream.
Only last month during Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond’s 2025 Budget debates in the National Assembly, she had said that in 2024, Guyana’s hospitality sector was on track to generate a staggering $13.6 billion in revenue.
Walrond had disclosed that the industry has also proven to be a major driver of employment, with nearly 22,000 people employed directly or indirectly in the sector across the country.
She had noted that the revenue generated by the sector reflects a combination of factors, including increased hotel occupancy rates and growing international and domestic tourism.