Marriott is the brand that will be worn by the government-owned hotel which has been earmarked for the Mount Wynne area.

Camillo Gonsalves, the finance minister made this announcement on Tuesday during a press conference, where he said that the contract with the hotel brand was signed just days ago.

“On the 10th of September, the vice president, Marriott’s vice president for International Hotel Development for the Caribbean and Latin America would be coming to St Vincent and the Grenadines to have a formal announcement and a little celebration for this monumental achievement,” he said.

Gonsalves also said that of the four major hotel brands in the world —the Windham, the Marriott, the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels — two will soon operate out of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“We will now have two of the big four in Holiday Inn Express as a member of the Intercontinental Hotel Group and the Marriott, and we are very proud of the fact that we have come to an agreement after a lengthy period of negotiation with the Marriott to have this hotel,” the minister said.

He said that Marriott is proud to be the first luxury brand on mainland St Vincent and they are also proud to expand their presence in this part of the Caribbean.

Architectural firm, Ten Architectos was contracted for the design of the hotel and the finance minister said that the firm is currently concluding the structural design.

And once those are completed, the government will send out a bid for contractors best suited to execute the construction of the project.

“It’s gonna be a huge boost for employment, it is going to fuel the development of the NIS and GECCU Housing development they have up on the hill and it’s going to essentially create a new community there and Mt Wynne/Peter’s Hope will be well on its way to becoming the new luxury hotel strip in mainland St Vincent. It’s an exciting time and we’re very happy to have the Marriott on board,” Gonsalves said.

He also said that the neighbouring towns of Layou and Barrouallie will benefit from the hotel as it is not an all-inclusive one.

This means that guests will be encouraged to visit neighbouring communities.

As such, the minister said that the communities have to be prepared for the influx of tourists.

He added that money has been budgeted to begin beautification works in the neighbouring towns and for “preparing the residents of Layou and Barrouallie, enhancing their ability to make a dollar from the fact that we will have this influx of tourists in the area so its all part of a holistic concept but the Marriott has been, is an important cornerstone.”

Gonsalves said that having a Marriott hotel in St Vincent will send a message to other brands that they can get involved in the country’s development.

He also said there is already another hotel chain working with a private entity as a result of hearing that Marriott was coming to this country. And he is hopeful that this will spur further private sector development.

The 250-room hotel in Mount Wynne is just one of many other hotel developments sprouting up on the mainland, in an effort to increase the room stock.

The finance minister said that based on developments already earmarked, St Vincent will add more than 1100 rooms to its stock.

This is inclusive of the 93-room government-owned hotel planned for Diamond to be branded as a Holiday Inn Express and the Black Sands Resort in Peter’s Hope, which will be a 400-room facility once construction is completed.

“You have the Buccament Bay Resort. Work will commence on that very shortly; the rehabilitation of that facility. That’s a 200-room hotel…those of you who drive through Calliaqua will see at the top of the hill there where [O A ‘Ken’] Boyea had property, that that land has been cleared. There is going to be a hotel constructed there called the Royal Mill and the Royal Mill hotel, which is a private entity is a combination of a large block hotel and villas…that is going to be a 200-room facility,” he said.