Sod turned for US$54M ‘Sun and Sand’ hotel in Guyana

By Vahnu Manikchand

The sod was turned on Wednesday for the construction of a US$54 million (G$11.1 billion) five-star hotel at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

The Sun and Sand Hotel will add to the country’s tourism capacity, providing more accommodation to house the increasing influx of tourists. India-based Sun and Sand Group of Companies on Wednesday held a sod-turning ceremony at the hotel’s construction site. The Sun and Sand Hotel will include a casino, along with a commercial block and club house. It will contain 163 rooms and provide jobs for several hundred Guyanese.

The construction of the five-star hotel is expected to commence next month and last for approximately 18 months.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Donald Ramotar noted that with investments such as this hotel, the local tourism and hospitality sector will blossom and change the landscape of the country. He added that the fact that more international companies are investing in Guyana’s economy shows the potential the country has.

The Government is further looking to transform tourism in the interior in order to stimulate the sector there. “I envision that this investment will also stimulate more investments in the interior where we have tremendous tourist potential… most of the destinations in the interior goes to Kaieteur, but there are so many other beautiful places such as Orinduik,” he said.

Ramotar added too that the hotel will change the skyline of the country, as he highlighted the need for the expansion of the airport, given the fact that the country is attracting more airlines from around the world.

This sentiment was echoed by acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, who noted that major airlines such as Copa Airlines would not have invested in the Guyana market if they did not see the potential here. Ali assured the investors that Government is committed to ensuring that their investment is safeguarded. He went on to say that when Government invested in the Marriott Hotel, it stimulated a transformation in the sector.

Meanwhile, Director of the Sun and Sand Group of Companies, Bhushan Chandna, thanked the Government of Guyana for its support, as he expressed his company’s interest in expanding its services in the country. The Sun and Sand Group of Companies specialises in real estate, housing projects, hotels, and casino construction as well as in metal and mining sectors.

Chandna said the main objective of his company is to provide direct and indirect opportunities that will benefit Guyana’s economy. “In this country, many foreign companies are coming and exploring mining, but our company has diversified activities [that] will allow us to venture into other areas as well,” the Director told the media.