Barbados developer, Mark Maloney is partnering with local businessmen for the 186-room Embassy Suites by Hilton which will be constructed on the Liliendaal Railway Embankment, Greater Georgetown.
The announcement of the modern seven-storey hotel was made on President Irfaan Ali’s Facebook page on Saturday. The hotel will be constructed on 2.5 acres in close proximity to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre and CARICOM Secretariat.
Chief Investment Officer and CEO of the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr Peter Ramsaroop told this newspaper that the developers are gearing up to turn the sod soon. He added that there have been some delays due to mud being dumped on the lands. He said that the developers have received all necessary permits from the Hilton franchise.
According to the information posted on the president’s page, the hotel will boast a contemporary design featuring multi-functional convention and banquet facilities, meeting spaces with natural lighting, and outdoor terraces. The new accommodation will also offer amenities such as a 24-hour fitness studio, wellness treatment suites, outdoor swimming pool, parking facilities, airport taxi and limo services, and high speed internet.
In October 2020 during a visit here, Maloney had expressed interest in housing investments in Guyana.
With multi-million dollar investments in transformational projects in his home country, Maloney also owns the Rock Hard Cement Company and shares a business partnership with Norwegian-born Barbadian developer, Bjorn Bjerkham of the Preconco, Marina Construction, and the Jada Group and Caribbean Homes businesses.
Maloney’s project, The Villages at Coverley, saw the transformation of land into over 600 houses in a modern housing community in Christ Church, Barbados.
“Our Mission is to provide affordable, quality housing using a concept which maximizes the use of land for the benefit of all homeowners and by doing so permits homeowners access to more affordable properties while enjoying a Lifestyle Community,” the project’s website states.
The community features low-to-middle cost, energy-efficient homes built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, a 5.0 earthquake, storm surges and major flooding. The fully planned development also offers residents a medical centre, gym, restaurants, stores, recreation centres and sports fields.
Maloney is well-known to the Guyanese motor racing community as he often competed here during his career as a speedster.
Just a few weeks ago, investors turned the sod for the construction of three hotels with international branding.
Sod was turned for the construction of the environment-friendly Four Points by Sheraton Hotel which is expected to have 172 modern rooms of varying sizes at Houston on the East Bank of Demerara; a US$50 million, 150-room, AC Marriott Hotel at Ogle, an area of former sugar estate lands on the East Coast of Demerara, and a 13-storey Pasha Global Hotel Blue Bridge Inc in Georgetown with 500 rooms.
In a previous interview, Ramsaroop had disclosed that seven new hotels were to be constructed this year.
“Since 2021, we are finalising investment agreements with major international brands: Courtyard Marriott, Four Points under Marriott, Hyatt Place, AC Marriott and Pasha Global…,” Ramsaroop said, adding that “G-Invest has either completed investment agreements or is finalising agreements with the listed hotel chain developers. All of these hotels have been approved by the brand and authorized to begin construction.”
The construction of these hotels will put the accommodation industry on stream to meet an expected 2,000-room demand by 2025.
