The 92-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Diamond which was financed partly with money from the National Insurance Services will be handed over on Saturday.
On Wednesday, acting Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel described the event as “a gala opening”.
In June 2022, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines signed a contract for the construction of the state-funded 92-room hotel, with Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, reiterating that the state has no interest in becoming a hotelier.
NH International (Caribbean) Limited was awarded the contract to build the EC$52 million hotel located about 10 minutes from Argyle International Airport (AIA).
“And the structure is ready for its function,” Daniel said, adding that the opening was originally scheduled for Tuesday but would be held earlier “due to some unforeseen circumstances”.
The acting prime minister said the hotel will receive its first guest on Nov. 22.
“… we are happy that we are where we are at this time. My understanding is that the hotel is fully booked for the rest of the year. There would be the games here in St. Vincent and Grenadines, the cricket games, and it is that activity which has really caused the hotel to be fully booked for the rest of the year.”
He said the government is “happy that already the hotel seems to be doing good business at this time. But it shows how much that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is moving on. To me, it shows that SVG, St. Vincent and Grenadines now pride itself on brand name hotels”.
In 2022, the government said the construction of the hotel was financed partially through a grant from the CARICOM Development Fund, financing from the National Insurance Services and local funds.
Daniel said that construction of the state-funded hotel at Mt Wynne, to be managed by Marriott, is expected to begin towards the end of the first quarter of next year.
“… St. Vincent is moving on in terms of hotels here, and we are happy that we are able to offer this kind of service to locals, Vincentians, foreigners, because you cannot discount the locals as part of the persons who would want to enjoy and to experience what is offered from the hotel … at an international standard,” he said.
The acting prime minister said he understood that “a number of locals, Vincentians, are already experiencing Sandals at its best, particularly on a weekend.
“So, there’s no doubt that the Holiday Inn will attract a number of locals as well, because that’s why I understand that the hotel is really fully booked for the rest of the year,” he said.
Go onto Holiday Inn Express (HIE) website and try and book a room for HIE in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. You won’t be able to as you will receive this comment:
An error has occurred. Please contact your nearest reservation office and a representative will be able to assist you. No hotels found in the exact location. Please change your search to another nearby location.
Sandals allowing locals to experience their amenities ??? Really ??? 🥺 Sorry I must of misread or mis understood??? Unless you mean vincentians working at sandals ??? Good luck to all these new hotels in main land SVG hope someone or group of persons predictions are correct or we in svg will be left with a load of empty promises 😭
Great investment by the the stake holders, this investment would multiple by ten fold both social and economical for the national , diamond and South windward.
I can foresee similar Projects in the area so as to complement the AIA.
Build it and they will come
I’m very proud to see the forward movement in this my beautiful country.
Hope de NIS pensioners get an increase on their monthly pension, it’s overdue, ar yo have ah heart.
Vincentians are kept too poor to afford weekends at luxury hotels. I surely hope the hotels will attract some visiting tourist on holidays. The poor local man can only whistle at that.