US$20M Marriott courtyard hotel to be completed by March 2025

The US$20 million Marriott-branded Courtyard hotel which is being built at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), is expected to completed by March 2025. President Dr. Irfaan Ali was given this update during a tour of the construction site.

On Monday, the President was given a tour of the Marriott-branded Courtyard hotel. It was explained by the contractor that they are aiming to put the finishing touches on the hotel in the first quarter of next year and complete the hotel by March.
Further, the hotel will likely be commissioned in April of 2025. Marriott International, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cardinal Investments Inc, Roy Bassoo, is working along with them and has already started the process to import operational supplies.
“Commissioning in April. Everything completed… I would say by January, February, the hotel should start finishing. (Marriott) are actually on board right now. They won’t wait until we’re finished, they’ve already started importing all the operational supplies, thousands of items. But they wouldn’t be shipped until January… that’s the pillows, pillowcases, all the other supplies,” Bassoo explained.
According to Project Manager, Jonathan Mohal during the tour, the additional works include solar panels. This, according to Mohal, will help ensure that heated water can be readily supplied to guests staying at the hotel, while promoting a green and sustainable environment.
“The conventional way we would use electricity to supply heated water to the hotel, but this is a green initiative. By doing this, it increases the energy saving capacity at the hotel, and it promotes a green environment,” he explained.
Operation of this Courtyard Hotel is being undertaken by Cardinal Investments Inc. The construction of the hotel, which is expected to feature 140-rooms when completed, is being led by R. Bassoo & Sons Construction.
Cardinal Investments Inc. is the special purpose company created by Roy and Denise Bassoo, that will design and construct the hotel at the CJIA on 2.5 acres of land leased from the government.
In December 2020, the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) had executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project in line with incentives being granted for all new projects. Financing for the project will come in part from syndicated financing led by Republic Bank.
That same month it was announced that R. Bassoo and Sons had entered into initial agreements with Marriott International and the Government of Guyana to design and build the hotel. These agreements followed the company’s response to the Government’s request for proposal (RFP) for hotel proposals.
Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago had also made an indicative offer of financing. Republic Bank has arranged over US$100 million in financing for other real estate projects in Guyana, including Movietowne, the Pegasus Corporate Offices and Suites, and the Georgetown Marriott hotel.
The agreements for the hotel were signed between Marriott International and Cardinal Investments Inc back in 2021. These agreements included (i) Hotel Management Agreement; (ii) Licence and Royalty Agreement; (iii) International Services Agreement; and (iv) Technical Services Agreement.
Marriott International was represented by General Manager of the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Eduardo Reple. Reple had used that opportunity to commend Cardinal Investments Inc for their “pioneering vision” in pursuing a new Marriott International Hotel in Guyana.
The hotel will be a one-minute drive from the entrance of the CJIA, and is expected to accommodate airline crews and staff, business personnel, diplomats, and other travellers. The Courtyard by Marriott at the CJIA will be the second Marriott International brand in the country, since the first one, the Marriott Hotel at Battery Road, Georgetown, was opened back in 2015. That Marriott had cost US$58 million.
Courtyard Marriott is one of over a dozen new hotels expected to be opened in Guyana over the next four years. Only a little over a week ago, the US$20 million Aiden by Best Western Hotel, located at Lots 88-89 Oronoque and Robb Streets, Bourda, officially opened its doors. (G3)