As far as losses are concerned Ocean View Hotel General Manager Desiree Rambarran would only say that they run into “many millions.” It is as much as she can honestly say at this time. Counting the cost of what is a significant setback for the local hotel industry is a complex matter.
Rambarran and her staff are still sifting through the devastation wrought by the protracted pounding to which the hotel was subjected by the Atlantic Ocean two weeks ago, which left the entire ground floor of the facility submerged in about two feet of water. At their highest, the waves that swept across the seawall probably measured ten feet.
Much of the damage was still evident when Stabroek Business visited the facility earlier this week. More damage and losses are being discovered as a major clean-up job unfolds. Rambarran makes the point that loss calculations will also have to take account of lost patronage. Still, she refuses to dwell on the issue. “We will just have to work with what we have,” she says.
Even before the loss assessment process is complete what is already known is staggering. Everything on the ground floor has been affected. Fridges, water heaters, coolers, beds, air conditioning units, laundry