By Sharda Bacchus
Guyana’s newest boutique hotel – Aiden by Best Western – has officially opened for business, creating over seventy jobs for locals in various roles and promising to deliver “unmatched” customer service to its guests.
Offering a 180-degree view of the city, the nine-storey modern and luxurious structure, at the corner of Robb and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown, is the 10th property to join the Best Western Hotel & Resorts franchise and the first in South America.
Designed to reflect Guyana’s rich flora, fauna, and culture, the hotel’s suites are named after the country’s rivers. The hotel features 138 smart rooms, a restaurant, a rooftop bar and lounge, a coffee shop, a gym, a sauna, and many other amenities.
On Saturday evening, President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with the developers—the Alphonso family from Essequibo—took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the hotel.
In his address, President Ali emphasized that the opening of Aiden by Best Western is more than just the launch of a hotel; it is a significant boost to the country’s tourism sector.
He challenged the developers to market Guyana as a tourism destination as part of their services.
“Investing in a facility like this cannot be without an understanding as to where the country is going and what we are trying to build. We are trying to build a world-class economy,” Dr Ali said.
According to President Ali, Guyana’s resilience and sustainability must be built with a global perspective in mind.
“We have to work on creating the ecosystem that will allow us to have this number of people passing through the economy to create the type of demand for the services that we are investing in across the country,” he said.
Dr Ali said the goal is to develop an economy by 2030 that will see 3 million visitors annually, all utilising the country’s services.
To achieve this, he stressed the importance of focusing on world-class infrastructure, as well as investing in training, development, and technical support services.
“Because I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are heading in the right direction and we know the destination will be for a strong, sustainable, resilient, vibrant Guyana,” Dr Ali said.
Lorenzo Alphonso, Director of Arimu Investments Inc., explained that despite facing procurement and logistical challenges, as well as unexpected changes to the design, the hotel was completed using local resources and skills.
“I can say that we should not doubt our Guyanese skill set… 100 percent supervised by Guyanese, scrutinised by Guyanese, and approved by Guyanese,” Alphonso said.
“From the first removal of soil to the completion date, the project involved using local resources.”
He added that the hotel provides employment for over 72 locals, as well as a few expatriates who have worked at world-renowned hotels, further ensuring that the customer service will be unmatched.
“The development was nothing short of interesting, intense, nerve-wracking, but most importantly, fulfilling,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Waldron, described the opening of the hotel as a testament to what can be achieved through government and private sector collaboration.
“We are confident that the investments being made today will pay dividends for generations to come. This represents our country’s continued growth and recognition as a key destination in the region,” Waldron said.
Such expansions, she noted, not only meet current demand but also lay the foundation for long-term growth in the sector.
“Having an internationally branded hotel like Aiden reinforces our position as a country on the move, sending a global signal that Guyana is well positioned to accommodate visitors with their specific brand preferences,” Waldron said.
