By Robert A Emmanuel
Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez revealed a high-end hotel project set to begin in 2024.
The project, which will be carried out under Marriott International, will be constructed near the Yeptons Beach area, located in Five Islands
“The individuals who are pursuing this project—they certainly have the resources to execute, and I am sure this is going to be yet another exciting, high-end resort because we are trying to transition away from all-inclusive resorts,” the Prime Minister stated on his weekly Saturday programme.
He believed that attracting high-end resorts would increase the revenue of the country.
Minister Fernandez further explained that the initial discussions for the project took place in 2019, and that the principles of the project have indicated an eagerness to start construction in the first quarter of next year.
“They brought a team down [to Antigua] to interview, meet with and discussed, because the Marriott is a high-end brand and they have a number of particular things that you have to deal with, so they have to ensure that they follow everything they had promised they are going to do,” Minister Fernandez explained.
The hotel, according to the Minister, will provide around 150 rooms, inclusive of a spa and a wellness centre.
The Prime Minister announced a number of hotel projects to be revealed in the coming months, including a new project to be established on the sister isle, Barbuda.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Minister gave an update on the airplanes for LIAT 2020, announcing that at least one of the planes should become operational by next week.
“The second one—a landing gear is needed to be replaced and that is paid for already, but it is stuck in transit because of the manufacturer’s slowness to ramp-up, and that particular aircraft is very popular…so that should be up within another two months,” Minister Fernandez shared.
