Ramada investing US$7M to rebrand Princess Hotel

U.S.-based hotel group Ramada will be spending US$7 million to rebrand the Princess Hotel and Casino at Providence, East Bank Demerara to Ramada Georgetown Princess, officials announced at a news briefing on Tuesday.

The rebranding mission has already taken effect and arose following an agreement between the Providence entity and Ramada, which is a subsidiary of the Wyndham Hotel group of New Jersey in the United States. The agreement is a work in progress in which the two have partnered on Princess’ existing hotels in Europe and the Caribbean.

President of the company Sudi Ozkan and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hamdi Karagozoglu – in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, through the Tourism Ministry – endorsed the agreement on December 19, 2013.

Hotel General Manager Cuneyt Dalcan explained that all upgrades will be in keeping with Ramada standards and will see the repositioning of the hotel in the market place. The GM added that being mindful of global warming, the hotel will also be eco-friendly by using LED technology, solar water heating systems and energy-saving systems.

 He told media operatives that Ramada in 1990 joined the Wyndham Hotel group. Ramada is a large hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Hotel group, the largest company in the world with more than 7200 hotels in over 65 countries. It is also ranked second on Fortune Magazine’s list of most admired hotels, casinos, and resorts. Dalcan said it was with this in mind that Princess Hotel signed a contract with Ramada to use their reservation services which is expected to increase occupancy in the Princess Hotel. Princess Hotel made it clear that it has not sold any shares to Ramada and its management remains the same.

Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali congratulated the Princess Group for rebranding. He said it was a major investment in Guyana’s tourism sector, while acknowledging the commitment of the Princess Hotel management to improve the local tourism product. He highlighted that 75 per cent of business travellers and 65 per cent of leisure travellers prefer to stay at a branded hotel when travelling. The Minister said, over the years, the sector has been gaining traction and recognised the ability of large investments such as this to foster smaller investments. Ali stated that the Guyana Tourism Authority has been working to drive traffic to all hotels, particularly during off-peak seasons.

Princess Hotel and Casino switched hands from local investors on April 1, 2009. It comprises 191 rooms, including Presidential Suites and Executive/VIP rooms. In addition, it has indoor and outdoor food and beverage facilities, the largest hotel conference and banqueting hall on the East Bank and the largest outdoor pool in the country.

Two years ago, Princess Group invested US$2 million in its entertainment section with two state-of-the-art movie theatres, Fun City and Club NEXT.

The hotel will continue to invest with the installation of 3D digital projector movie theatres this year. Ramada believes that coupled with its growth and strategic move of continuous external marketing opportunities in the Diaspora and the support through this new brand, the partnership  with Princess will strengthen the hotel’s ongoing commitment to the hospitality industry in Guyana by offering guests a strong and distinct brand.