US$15M ‘Aiden Hotel’ comes to Guyana
An artist’s impression of the Aiden Hotel
An artist’s impression of the Aiden Hotel

–to feature 101 ‘smart rooms’, construction works begin tomorrow

CONSTRUCTION works on the US$15M Aiden Hotel on Robb and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown, which will feature 101 “smart rooms”, will commence tomorrow. The Aiden Hotel is a boutique-styled hotel under the Best Western Hotel and Resorts franchise.
A smart-hotel room is one outfitted with electronic devices and household appliances which are powered by Internet connectivity.
Best Western is a hotel chain that originated in the USA, and subsequently spread around the world. The company has over 4,200 hotels worldwide, each one independently-owned and run.
The hotel will be developed by Arimu Investments Inc, which is a Guyanese company with investments in mining, real estate and business. The hotel is expected to be completed in 18 months.

An artist’s impression of the dining section close to the roof of the Aiden Hotel

The directors of Arimu Investments Inc and developers of the Aiden Hotel are Geraldo and Lorenzo Alphonso.
Co-developer of the hotel, Geraldo Alphonso, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said Guyana will experience a demand for accommodation amid a rapidly-growing economy. “The Arimu Investment Company is actually named after a tributary of the Mighty Cuyuni River in Region Seven; it is a gold-and-diamond-rich area for a number of years. We know about the area through our gold mining exploits, and that’s why we came up with the name,” Alphonso said, while noting that the company is 100 per cent Guyanese-owned.

Co-developer of the hotel, Geraldo Alphonso

Arimu Investments Inc. has acquired the franchises for both “Sure Stay Plus and Aiden”, two franchised hotels, all under Best Western.
The Aiden Hotel, he said, is a trendy collection of laid-back boutique hotels that blends cool, casual charm with an eclectic neighbourly feel.
“No two hotels are alike, with each designed to reflect the unique personality of each community, and country they serve. Guests would discover local flair and imaginative design, with Aiden as their welcoming and stylish host,” the businessman said.

An artist’s impression of one of the “smart rooms” that will be featured in the hotel

He explained that the Aiden being developed by Arimu Investments Inc. would be the 12th in existence worldwide; the first to be completed in South America; the only one in the Caribbean, and Guyana’s first franchised boutique hotel.
The ‘Aiden Midtown Georgetown’, he revealed, would be nine storeys high, with a 74,000 square-foot modern building housing 101 executive “smart rooms”.
Amenities, Alphonso said, will include conference rooms, an English restaurant and bar, coffee shop, gym and sauna area, executive boardrooms and a terrace bar.

ROOFTOP BAR AND LOUNGE
The main feature of the facility, he said, would be the rooftop bar and lounge that will be encased in glass to give patrons an exclusive dining experience.
This, Alphonso said, will feature “nothing less than international furnishings, lights, sounds and designs; it would be the first bar in Guyana to feature a humidor with a collection of world-renowned cigars. The invisible-styled rails and barriers concept would give a feeling of dining with the stars, and a sight second to none.”
He said, too, that parking would not be an issue, as there will be a three-level parking facility situated just a short distance away from the hotel.

Additionally, he said that the Aiden would be providing guests with executive chaffeur services, shuttle bus tours, and well as helicopter tour packages around the city.
During the construction phase, the developer noted, approximately 150 Guyanese would be employed, and when completed and up and running, 50 Guyanese will be hired as hotel staff. Arimu Investments Inc, which also owns the Innovations America store, last November signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), Dr. Peter Ramsaroop for the construction of an eight-storey hotel.

SURE STAY PLUS HOTEL
The company plans to construct the 100-bedroom Sure Stay Plus Hotel, which is another franchise of the world-renowned Best Western Hotels and Resorts.
This G$3 billion world-class hotel will also be situated in the heart of Georgetown.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali had said that Guyana will be looking to provide an additional 2,000 first-class rooms, making Guyana “a conventional destination”.
A business-friendly climate, supplemented by the anticipated economic ascension, is being credited for the attraction of major players in the hotel industry such as the Sheraton, The Element, Delta Marriott, Best Western Hotels and Resorts, the H-Tower Luxury Hotel, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the Radisson Hotels, and the

Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Palm Court International Hotel and King’s Hotel and Residences among others.
These potential investments are seen as timely, because Guyana, which sits on the edge of South America and has a population of about 750,000 people, is expected to ‘boom’ with its new-found oil wealth, which is expected to drive infrastructural development and other sectoral advancements.
According to a study by Oxford Economics, hotel operations and guest spending support eight million jobs across the U.S. alone. The same study found that a typical hotel with 100 occupied rooms per night supports 230 local jobs every year.

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