Prime property

A second major hotel could soon be coming to the Bridgetown area.

Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds today revealed that the legal work related to the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn at Carlisle Bay, Bay Street had already begun.

While not disclosing many details on the project, Symmonds told members of the media that a contract was in the process of being prepared.

He said once that was completed it would pave the way for construction of the hotel.

If given the green light, it would be the second hotel planned for construction in the area, with the Hyatt Centric Resort scheduled to be built a short distance away.

“You will recall that when the Barbados Labour Party had its meeting in the Carlisle car park at the start of June, the Prime Minister had announced that steps had been taken by way of an investor to express an interest in a Hilton Garden Inn being built at what is now Carlisle House.

Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds (left) in conversation with chairman of the Intimate Hotels of Barbados Soni Kessuram (centre) and Dr Kerry Hall, tourism consultant with the Ministry of Tourism.

“The legal work has been completed and we are on our way towards seeing the fruition of that investment,” Symmonds said on the sidelines of the Intimate Hotels of Barbados’ Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Sweetfield Manor, Britton’s Hill, St Michael.

“Obviously that is within the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, so I can’t really speak much further…”

But Symmonds said there was also a possibility that other hotels could also be coming to the area.

The Minister said the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Coca-Cola, who resides in Barbados, had expressed an interest in investing $30 million on the property by the Waterfront Café and Careenage.

According to the Minister that project could also see a hotel being built in that area.

“It is in the same area and it will probably be a number of things. Quite likely it may have a hotel component to it as well as some degree of shopping…” he noted.                        

He said such projects were always welcome as Barbados badly needed the foreign exchange along with the employment opportunities.

Symmonds said Government would be working with investors to ensure that these initiatives were quickly dealt with.

“So we are making progress. The basic good news is that people recognize that Barbados is open for business. They are expressing an interest in further investment and obviously we are trying to ensure that investment is facilitated in as transparent a way as possible, but making sure that we expedite it because the country needs the foreign exchange in order to get past some of the difficulties that we are still in,” the Minister explained.

“…But I do know that there has been a number of expressions of interest for people who are interested in doing hotel development in the Carlisle Bay area and in the general area of the Bayfront in Bridgetown, Barbados, which will be across the water from where the Customs and Immigration used to be.”

During a speech in Carlisle car park just over a month ago to celebrate the BLP’s first year in office, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that $3 billion would be spent in a Carlisle Bay project over the next seven years.

She said it would result in hotels being constructed between Hastings, Christ Church and Batts Rock, St Michael.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb