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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago
Another Branded hotel has set eyes on Tobago but this has gone beyond talk, the one hundred and twenty-six villas, 40 room hotel, 2 restaurants, bars, spa, fitness center located in Roxborough is already under construction with the project set to be completed by next year end 2025.

Reporter Elizabeth Williams spoke with the managing partner Garry Olsen in New York. More in this report.
Transcript
00:00TV6 News spoke with the managing partner Gary Alston via Zoom from New York.
00:06Mr. Alston said the entire project is all private sector direct foreign investment
00:12with zero THA involvement and zero public funds.
00:17Our goal is to make it a four to five star resort on the island which again at this point
00:25is dramatically lacking. At this point the project is 100% privately funded.
00:33We have no public money, no public help in any way shape or form.
00:38In 2017 a choice hotel international ascent collection boutique brand
00:44was obtained as part of the elephant tree beach club and villas resort development.
00:51Upon completion the resort will earn the recognition as the largest employer in the
00:56hospitality industry on the island as well as the newest and best full service resort.
01:03However issues are being raised as a second choice franchise was recently sold to the THA
01:10for the Manta Lodge in Speyside. In light of this Mr. Alston has been trying to meet with
01:16the Tobago House of Assembly. We made a suggestion to the chief secretary
01:23that we would not interfere with them going ahead and having that franchise
01:29in return for some unused land in Roxborough that we would use to build a food market,
01:39a bank, a branch bank, probably a pharmacy and a few other amenities that are not only needed for us
01:48but needed for the east end of the island. Managing director of elephant tree beach club
01:54and villas arranged and flew to Tobago from New York City specifically for that meeting with chief
02:02secretary Farley Augustine. He returned to New York later that day however the meeting
02:08was abruptly cancelled when Mr. Alston arrived. The chief secretary set up a meeting for us to
02:16meet face to face to make a decision on this. It was set up by his staff for the 16th. I flew in
02:27the night before for this meeting from New York planning on going back the next day and when I
02:34got there I was informed the meeting was cancelled and that they would try and reschedule. You know
02:42frankly that doesn't really sit well with me that this didn't need to be a long meeting.
02:49This needed to be probably a 10 or 15 minute meeting and when I fly in for just one meeting
02:56which it was very clear it comes off as very disrespectful. We've continued to ask. We've
03:04been told that they could reschedule. They could schedule a zoom meeting and here we are almost two
03:14weeks later and we've never gotten any response from the chief secretary or his office. So what's
03:21your next step? I've got seven to ten days before I'm going to make a call with choice and I'm going
03:29to force choice to either choose us or choose the man to lodge. Mr. Alston said he needs to
03:37make a decision within the next seven to ten days otherwise he will most strongly put forth
03:44his resort's desire to choice hotel regarding the franchises for a decision to be made.
03:50Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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