King’s Hotel and Residence has commenced construction of its second branded hotel in the heart of the city as it expands its presence in the hospitality sector. The nine-storey structure is being erected at the corner of Quamina and Waterloo streets on land previously occupied by the Water Chris Hotel.
King’s Jewellery World Chief Financial and Marketing Officer Harrinand Persaud, who was overseeing the work during a visit by the Stabroek News explained that the new hotel will be an expansion of current services with more modern and chic amenities and style.
“We have to compete with the bigger brands of hotel but what we are looking at is a hotel with local flair. You cannot go anywhere else in the world and experience a King’s Hotel,” Persaud said.
The hotel will boast all the modern amenities, giving guests the best experiences during their stay. Its restaurant will offer local cuisine such as the famous duck curry and other popular Guyanese dishes to give guests a taste and feel of the culture. Persaud said that the hotel would feature 60 rooms, 25 of which will be equipped as suites for residences. There will be a sky bar, which will give patrons an almost 360-degree view of the city. It will be high end, offering different experiences and an ambience that contrasts with current eateries in the city. In addition, there will be a bistro-type facility and a shopping area.
Persaud said that plans for the hotel had been in the pipeline since 2017. He explained that currently there are two areas under consideration, one being a focus on security with all the rooms being outfitted with smart keys, and second, making the hotel energy efficient.
Work is currently progressing with piling activities underway, and when completed [within the next two months], the next step is the erecting of steel structures.
The local company is working towards a late 2024 deadline and the project’s estimated investment is pegged between US$12 million to US$15 million.
King’s Jewellery World made its entry into the hospitality sector in 2017 when it acquired the former Halito Hotel, which had been in receivership owing to the original owners’ outstanding debt with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).
King’s Hotel and Residence was one of several that responded to the government’s call in 2020 to construct hotels, and in that very year signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Guyana Office for Investment. The company hopes to provide jobs for approximately 100 employees, twice its current staff complement, on completion of the current project.
Approximately seven hotels, five of which are internationally branded, are being constructed across the city and on the East Bank Demerara. These will put the accommodation industry on stream to meet an expected room demand by 2025. Along with King’s, the others are Four Points under Marriott at New Access Road, Houston with 150 rooms; Hyatt Place at Providence, 125 rooms; AC Marriott at Ogle, 150 rooms; Pasha Global at Liliendaal, 200 rooms; Aiden by Best Western at Robb Street, 150 rooms and Marriott Courtyard at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, 140 rooms.
