Fate of Marriott’s ownership to be decided after audit – Gov’t

Georgetown: The way forward on the world-class Marriott Hotel, which recently opened its doors for business in Guyana, will soon be decided by the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration when the results of the financial audit into the operations of the Atlantic Hotel Inc are revealed.

Both the APNU and AFC were vehemently against the establishment of this international branded hotel, citing that the huge sums of money could have been better invested into a state-of-the-art university, that the hotel will take away business from the locals, and that an excessive amount of tax holidays were allowed for the project.

Also, the AFC, while in opposition, had threatened to impose sanctions on the Marriott agreement between the Government and Atlantic Hotel Inc, the special ownership vehicle created by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the state’s holding company.

Now that APNU and AFC are the new coalition Government, the fate of this multimillion-dollar investment is within their hands.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, speaking to media operatives at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, explained that when the results of the audits are released, then the Government will make a decision on the way forward for the Marriott.

“Cabinet considered the matter and was advised by the Minister of Finance that an audit has already started into the project and Cabinet would arrive at a final decision after the audit has been completed,” he said.

The luxury hotel boasts 197 guest rooms and suites that offer views of the ocean at every turn. Its ballroom has the capacity to accommodate between 400 and 700 persons.

It can also be transformed into four sections to host smaller events. The hotel also has five boardrooms and an open style kitchen to allow patrons to dine in the restaurant and watch their meals being prepared by expert chefs.

Its indoor gym will cater mainly for its guests but membership will eventually be offered to the public. When it was opened, there were several outstanding works to be completed to the infrastructure of the hotel. Efforts to contact an official to provide a comment in this regard proved futile.