Princess Hotel is now part of Ramada chain

Apr 16, 2014 News

– to undergo required upgrades

The Princess Hotel and Casino yesterday announced that it is now Ramada Georgetown Princess.
The announcement came yesterday at its Providence, East Bank Demerara location.

Princess Hotel’s General Manager, Jay Cuneyt Dalcan addressing reporters yesterday.

The hotel’s General Manager, Jay Cuneyt Dalcan, said that the six Princess Hotels located in the South American region are trailing their five sister companies in Europe, in being rebranded.
This will see all the hotels undergoing upgrades so as to satisfy the worldwide contract signed with Ramada.
As it relates to the hotel here, management will be investing in excess of US$5M to renovate its guest rooms, swimming pool and its environs, the restaurant and bar, lobby and reception area, along with the conference and banquet facilities.
Dalcan said that being cognizant of global warming, the new Ramada Georgetown Princess is looking to become eco-friendly.
To this end, devices at the hotel will be replaced with LED Technology. Light Emitting Diodes, commonly called LEDs, are said to be “unsung heroes” in the electronics world. They are found in all kinds of devices, including printers, digital clocks and remote controls.
LEDs are just tiny energy-saving light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, and they don’t get especially hot.
The hotel will also be switching to solar water heating system and other energy-saving systems.
The upgrades will also see the installation of a state-of-the-art switchboard system, as well as an upgrade in the internet service.
The necessary renovation works will commence this year. These will be done in phases so as to cater for the convenience of several loyal customers.
Dalcan said that the necessary equipment have already been ordered from different countries, including Guyana and neighbouring Suriname where there is already a Ramada branded hotel.
According to the Manager, Ramada became a member of the mid-scale, full-service-branded chain of the Wyndham Hotel Group of Companies in 1990. Wyndham, he said, is one of the world’s largest hotel companies with approximately 7,200 hotels in over 65 countries, Panama and Turkey included. The hotels are also common in Europe.
Dalcan made it clear that the re-branding does not mean that Princess Hotel has sold any shares to Ramada. The Princess franchise has only signed a contract to use Ramada’s reservation services, as this is expected to significantly boost occupancy.
The re-branding, Dalcan said, does not apply to the hotel’s extended service centres like the Casino, gaming arcade and theatre facilities.
The manager, who has been in Guyana for several months, said that the re-branding initiative was endorsed by the Government of Guyana via the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce last December.

The Princess Hotel will soon be branded as the Ramada Georgetown Princess

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism (ag) Irfaan Ali, regarded the initiative as being another major investment in Guyana’s tourism sector. He acknowledged that over the past few years, Princess Hotel has showed commitment to improving the local tourism product.
Ali noted that the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been working on ways to help hotels increase its occupancy rates, especially during the off-peak seasons.
Dalcan claimed that the Princess Hotel records an occupancy rate of 65 percent year round, and 100 percent occupancy during the peak seasons. He said that the entity has 191 comfortable rooms, which include Presidential Suites, VIP rooms and standard rooms.
Dalcan said that although business is good, there are no intentions of expanding the hotel in Guyana.