FIRST, let me express my support for an international hotel like the Marriott in Guyana. We need at this point in the development of our country a genuine four or five-star rated international hotel facility as well as the development of our own hotels and accommodation services. These are absolutely necessary if we intend to receive visitors of international and regional calibre, as well as real international tourists, as tourism activities are internationally promoted. Even the “come back home Guyanese” who have grown accustomed to services of internationally recognised standard and quality would welcome such services. Mr. Editor, people must be able to choose without any doubt, their place of stay.

I am aware that there are several hotels in Guyana that offer reasonable service at reasonable prices. The Guyana Pegasus, for example, has been the flagship hotel in Guyana for decades and over the years has been the place of stay for the VIPs and other visitors. Do we still have a flagship hotel? Do our visitors have choices for first-class accommodation services?

In my business, I interact with quite a few foreign visitors to Guyana, some of whom expressed disgust as to the level of services offered and the run-down facilities. We cannot continue this way. I travel fairly widely and experience stays in hotels of international and regional standards. You feel and see the comfort since you make that first step into the doorway.

As a tourist or a visitor for pleasure or business, one expects a high quality of comfort and service and to be least bothered about these when he/she makes a decision to stay at a hotel of choice and willing to pay a particular price.

I am sure many Guyanese want to have an international hotel experience.