–150-bedroom facility to create over 75 jobs
— company to inject US$1M more into Church Street facility

AFTER demolishing its Lot 24 Brickdam facility more than two years ago, the Sleepin Group will be utilising the space to construct a modern US$6 million (G$1.3 billion) hotel, to cater for the anticipated increase in arrivals to Guyana and the accompanying economic growth.
Guyana, with its new-found oil wealth, is on the cusp of economic transformation, and has already received the title of “investment capital” of the region and possibly the world. This has so far served as encouragement for some of the key players in the hotel industry like the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the Radisson Hotels, and the Hilton Hotels and Resorts, among others. But, the attention from big international players has not discouraged locals in any way, as is evident in the case of the Sleepin Group, which is planning to create a facility like no other. Although the plan to expand the Brickdam facility has been long in the making, owner of the Sleepin Group, Clifton Bacchus, has said that the time is ripe for the investment to be made.

“We are going bigger with more rooms… we only had 59 rooms and we always wanted to do more rooms, but the old building was not designed structurally to hold more rooms… we had to take down the old building because we want a modern building and modern amenities,” Bacchus said during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, on Thursday. Based on the new plan and design, the modern facility will have 150 rooms, a conference hall, restaurant, car rental service and other amenities which would be found at any first-class hotel. Bacchus said too that part of the plan for the new facility includes the addition of two-bedroom apartments to cater for long-term guests. “This facility will be massive and modern. When done, it will create at least 75 jobs… the old facility, which was built 15 years ago for World Cup Cricket, had already created about 60 jobs, plus the hotel was giving back to society by paying taxes, among other things,” the businessman said, adding that it will be no different this time around.

Work on the new facility has started already, with the projected timeline for completion being two years. The Sleepin Group plans to waste no time in capitalising on the potential opportunities, as the company, in addition to constructing the new Brickdam facility, will be extending its Carnival Hotel on Church Street.
Bacchus said that the multi-million-dollar facility will receive an injection of another US$1 million (GYD$200 million). “We are also expanding the Church Street facility… we have already purchased a property on Albert Street [next to the facility] which will be used to enhance the pool area… work on this is already ongoing,” the businessman said. Only recently, after more than four years of being denied the opportunity to open its doors, the US$16 million Carnival Casino was given the “green light” by the Gaming Authority of Guyana to commence operations, thus paving the way for the creation of more than 300 direct jobs.

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
Although the facility has the capacity to employ over 300 persons, Bacchus had said that he will be employing 150 for now, because of the pervasive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “We are only employing 150 persons for now, because of the social distancing and so, and because you have to close at a certain time,” the proprietor said. The application of COVID-19 guidelines will, however, not just be restricted to the level of employment, but will also apply to all aspects of the casino’s operations. The facility has live games, machine games, food and every possible feature of any international casino. Those activities will be managed by competent employees, who have been trained by experts in the field.
This project is one in a slew of projects which are scheduled for this year. It was reported in December 2020 that Go-Invest was able to facilitate 55 potential investments valuing $276.6 billion within three months, paving the way for the creation of more than 10,000 jobs in 2021 and beyond.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that of the 55 projects to which Go-Invest referred, 28 are local, 25 are Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), and there are two joint ventures.

It was reported recently that 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 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, among others.
According to a study by Oxford Economics, hotel operations and guest spending, support eight million jobs across the US alone. The same study found that a typical hotel with 100 occupied rooms per night supports 230 local jobs every year. And the nation’s hotel and lodging industry brings other important benefits to local communities. These businesses are a cornerstone for local economic activity, providing increased tax revenue, capital investment, tourism-related development and promotion, civic leadership, charitable contributions and sponsorship. These benefits are also expected to accrue to Guyana, as the country continues to function as an investment magnet.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has said already that Guyana is on course to prosperity, with a diverse economy which is yet to reach its peak.
“Our economic prospects have never been brighter. Our collective feet are firmly placed on the first rungs of a ladder to prosperity that is clearly within our sight,” President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, said during his address to the nation on January 1, 2021.
The year 2021, according the President, will be the springboard from which Guyana will leap into recovery, rebuilding the economy, enhancing the people’s health and lifting up the vulnerable groups in society.
“We must not remain a rich country of poor people,” the President affirmed, noting that the bounty of Guyana must be shared across the population.