Above: the Marriott Hotel project in Georgetown

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Marriott hotel project in Guyana is on track for an expected August 2014 opening, according to the government.

The project, which will include 197 rooms, a ballroom, conference centre, casino, nightclub and restaurant.

In a release, Guyana President Donald Ramotar said the project would “go a very far way in advancing Guyana’s economic development and improving the livelihood of Guyanese.”

“It has really set another standard for construction in our country, and we are looking forward to an early opening as possible so that we can develop our tourist industry,” he said.

This week, Ramotar took a tour of the construction site, which is located in the Kingston neighbourhood. He was joined by officials including Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Head of the Privatization Unit, Winston Brassington.

The $52 million project launched in Guyana in August 2011.

China-based Shanghai Construction Group is the contractor on the hotel project.

Another Marriott project in the Caribbean, a hotel in Port-au-Prince, is slated to open in 2015.