Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the planned $220 million Hilton Garden Inn hotel in South Trinidad will be an economic asset to the country.
She was speaking at the ceremonial sod-turning for the project yesterday at South Park, San Fernando.
The Prime Minister said the construction phase of the project will soon commence.
She said under the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, projects were announced and timelines set, but construction never began, resulting in no delivery.
The United National Congress (UNC) Government is focused on delivery, she said, and hailed the Hilton Garden Inn investment as one that will directly fuel job creation.
Persad-Bissessar said it will employ approximately 400 people during construction and create 150 permanent jobs upon completion.
She noted it will also support training in the hospitality sector and create opportunities for farmers and small businesses to participate in its supply chain.
“This is exactly the kind of investment that supports my Government’s commitment to creating sustainable jobs for the population,” she said.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that the location of the hotel was within a corridor of major national infrastructure, including the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba; National Aquatic Centre, National Cycling Velodrome, Couva Children’s Hospital, Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Point Lisas Industrial Estate, Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, and The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Debe campus.
“This positioning allows it to support a wide range of economic activity across sport, health care, industry, education and business,” she said.
“This, therefore, is not simply a hotel. It is an economic asset.”
Sod-turning ceremony: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and chairman of Superior Hotels John Aboud turn the sod for the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn during the groundbreaking ceremony at South Park in the vicinity of Tarouba, San Fernando, yesterday afternoon. The Hilton Garden Inn is due for completion in 2028 and will cost $220 million.
—Photo: DEXTER PHILIP
The project also reflects the Revitalisation Blueprint, which attracted nearly 1,000 expressions of interest, including significant interest in waterfront and industrial development, the Prime Minister said.
“This demonstrates that my Government has moved beyond the stagnation of the past decade and is actively creating conditions for investment at scale,” she said.
The project also delivers on the UNC manifesto commitment of economic transformation through jobs, investment and growth, she noted.
Persad-Bissessar said it not only delivers employment but also brings investment and expansion, creating opportunities for local enterprise. It also strengthens training and skills development, she added.
The Prime Minister said its location in South Trinidad was significant, as it is an area of strong potential, but one that has not consistently received sustained investment.
She said her Government was changing that.
‘Mismanagement’ of hotel sector
The Prime Minister also outlined what she described as the cost of mismanagement of the hotel sector under the former government.
She said in Port of Spain, the Hilton hotel’s pool renovation cost over $8.5 million.
She said Manta Lodge in Tobago was left non-operational while millions were spent.
Persad-Bissessar said the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort in Tobago faced public criticism in 2022 and the National Academy for the Performing Arts’ (NAPA) hotel component was never operational.
She said this was why her Government approaches projects differently.
“Every dollar must deliver value, and every project must produce real outcomes for the people,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also noted what she described as the contrast in delivery between the UNC and the PNM.
She pointed out that under her first administration from 2010 to 2015, the Magdalena Grand was completed and opened, and that the Hyatt arbitration secured over $334 million for the State.
Persad-Bissessar said public confidence was undermined under the previous PNM administration. She listed several promised projects by the former administration which were never delivered.
• In 2022, a Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Piarco was launched with a 2024 completion timeline. It did not materialise.
• In 2023, a $70 million Maracas Bay hotel was announced. It was not completed.
• In 2024, a Hilton Garden Inn at this location was announced, with construction expected in 2025. It did not begin.
• A $500 million Marriott project in Tobago, announced in 2021, never materialised.
• In 2017, a Hilton project in San Fernando was announced. Construction never commenced.
She said this pattern eroded confidence, but that under her leadership, projects now moved from announcement to construction to completion.
“There is a clear difference. Under my UNC Government, we deliver. Our record is proven and unprecedented. Promises made, promises kept,” she said.
