Construction of the 140-room Marriott-branded hotel next door to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri is on schedule with the second floor now being worked on.
The Courtyard hotel is being built by Cardinal Investment, a subsidiary of R Bassoo and Sons Construction.
Proprietor, Roy Bassoo, in a telephone interview with Stabroek News explained that the foundation and casting for the first floor columns and beams have been completed. Currently the casting of the columns and beams for the second floor is being done. He added that a 24-hour day and night shift system, which is intended to meet their December 2023 completion and opening deadlines, is in effect. The sod for the project was turned on July 2nd, 2021.
Bassoo, who is the Executive Director of Cardinal Investment, said during the sod-turning event that the Republic Bank financed project is a partnership with the King Jin Group of China and his family-owned construction company. Bassoo said, “We are building a 21st century hotel. It will be the same standards if you visit a Marriott-branded hotel in Dubai, United States or anywhere else the world. We ensure that standards are being met.”
With his background in engineering and construction, he said that the work that is currently being executed will be of the highest standard and on par with the standards associated with the Marriott franchise. From the inception of construction, Bassoo said they have been receiving periodic visits from the Marriott team seeking to ensure that construction is proceeding in accordance with the hotel’s design outlines and that construction timelines were on schedule. Over 100 locals are currently employed on the project.
Bassoo had previously explained that their decades-long presence at the airport, via the Lotus Restaurant, made them aware that this was an unserved area of the hospitality market. “We wanted the right conditions before we invested and those conditions came with the opening of the oil and gas sector and the government’s RFP [Request For Proposal],” Bassoo explained, while noting that the burgeoning oil sector has renewed interest in local investment opportunities.
In March 2021, the Marriott franchise and Cardinal Investment sign-ed an agreement paving the way for hotel’s construction. The conceptual design was done by Urbahn Architects. The hotel will feature luxury amenities such as a spa, pool, restaurants and entertainment spots. At the signing of an investor’s agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with the Guyana Office for Investment [G-INVEST] in December 2020.
Bassoo had said the surrounding communities, including farmers, will benefit from the investment. Not only will the hotel provide employment for locals but he has also committed to using produce from the local farming community. “We buy from local farmers for the restaurant and will continue to do so for the hotel,” Bassoo stressed.
Back then he had said that the anticipated economic growth, following petroleum exploration and mining, and government-led initiatives in housing and agriculture, will likely increase the number of travellers to and from Guyana. Consequently, a partnership with Marriott to build a hotel will successfully expand the company’s portfolio into the hospitality sector. Accord-ing to the company’s statement, the agreements signed followed a response to the government’s Request For Proposal (RFP) and included: a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Marriott; a completed market study by Hotel Valua-tion Services (HVS), and a conceptual design by Urbahn Architects.
Bassoo added that as part of the research, HVS, one of the foremost hotel valuation firms, interviewed almost all the major airlines coming into Guyana and all have shown interest in utilizing the hotel when completed. “I have personally spoken with the Regional Manager of Caribbean Airlines who indicated that as soon as the hotel is up, all of his pilots and aircraft crew would be staying there because it is very convenient, especially when there is a turnaround flight.” Bassoo stressed that his company was no stranger to airline operations as they have been providing catering services to that sector for years.
