Although most activities in the country reopened at the end of August, hotel occupancy levels are still low and business people fear they will be forced to cut more jobs or close operations.
Corporacion Camino Real, Radisson, Hyatt, Marriot, Adriatika, Hilton Garden and Holiday Inn are some of the large hotels that have suspended operations in Guatemala due to the health and economic crisis affecting the world.
As a result of the covid-19 outbreak, the Real Intercontinental Hotel suspended operations from April 1 and according to its managers, the reopening will depend on government regulations.
For the end of 2019, is scheduled the inauguration of Oceana Resort, a hotel complex that will offer 200 rooms and is located on the beach of Iztapa, department of Escuintla.
Oceana Resort + Conventions will be a hotel that will have a total of 22 thousand square meters of construction and will operate under the format of "all-inclusive". The building is located at kilometer 6 of the road from Iztapa to Monterrico.
Hilton Hotels has announced the development of nine hotel projects in the region, which together will add approximately 1,300 rooms to the hotel chain in Central America.
From a press release by Hilton Hotels:
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announces the expansion of its Latin American footprint with new deals signed in Central America. Now, Hilton has a pipeline of nine hotels across five countries in Central America, representing five of Hilton's brands: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn by Hilton.
Construction has started of a hotel by the chain Ritz-Carlton in Las Perlas Archipelago, which will have 86 rooms in 28 villas and private residences, and will be ready in 2019.
From a statement issued by the Presidency of Panama:
With a more than 80 million dollar investment, work started on Thursday to build a hotel by the Ritz-Carlton chain in the Las Perlas Archipelago.
Between 2010 and 2015 the number of tourist accommodation establishments went up by 73%, and the total number of available rooms increased by 53%.
Data from the Central American Integration System (SICA) indicates that in 2010 Nicaragua registered 8,880 rooms and had 771 business establishments used to accommodate tourists.At the close of 2015, there were almost 14 thousand rooms and 1,057 establishments such as hotels, hostels and cabins.
This year 11 new hotels are expected to open, adding 696 more rooms in different parts of the country, with an estimated investment of $149 million.
Details from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) show that there are 11 establishments in the process of completing paperwork with the entity to declare themselves of tourist interest.
In a transaction whose amount was not disclosed, the U.S. company Gencom acquired the majority of the share capital of the hotel complex Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Guanacaste.
According to a statement released by BusinessWire, the acquisition includes the Four Seasons Papagayo, an 18 hole golf course and clubhouse, the Papagayo Marina and Prieta Beach Club.
On October 12 in Managua entrepreneurs will be meeting to discuss issues such as hotel operations, techniques for hotel marketing and use, and the advantages of new technologies.
The event is being organized by the Hotel Association of Nicaragua (Ashotnic) and will be held at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Convention Center.
Elnuevodiario.com.ni reports that "...The Ashotnic's goal is to surpass the results achieved in the edition of the fair in 2015, which was attended by 50 companies, who promoted 80 brands of hotel services, and accessories for that sector. "
Up to December 2015 2.559 hotels with 47,452 rooms were registered in the country, of which 70% are located in the city and at the beach.
Market figures have not yet reached the levels recorded before the crisis of 2008, when the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels counted 2,599 hotels in operation, spread across different areas of the country, but are instead concentrated in the large metropolitan area and coastal areas.
Through the new tourism chamber Playa Blanca, hotels in the area will develop a joint tourism promotion strategy, similar to that implemented in Punta Cana and Cancun.
The main objective of the newly formed chamber is to promote the beaches in the area of Farallon as a single large destination. Alberto Quiros, who participates in the organization of the union, told Prensa.com that "...
Due to non payment of interest on an issue of corporate bonds to investors the Panama Stock Exchange is suspending trading of three bond issues by the Panamanian company RG Hotels.
On June 12, the securities issuing company reported in a statement that it is thoroughly analyzing its financial situation, and announced they will not pay interest to investors who bought corporate bonds.
An announcement has been made that the Asian hotel company Six Senses has bought the hotel Aqua Wellness Resort, located in Tola beach on the Pacific coast.
In the Gulf of Papagayo the government of Costa Rica has already granted 35 areas in concession, which occupy almost 90% of the total area to be developed.
At the moment nine resorts are operating, three are under construction and it is expected that design plans for two more will be submitted this year.
Three hotels are expected to start operations during 2015: the Paradisus Papagayo Bay Resort, with an investment of $90 million, the Marriott Papagayo, with $67 million and the Wyndham Resort Papagayo YU, with $22 million. Authorities in the Gulf of Papagayo Tourist Pole pointed out that besides the three projects formal presentation of the designs and the start of procedures to build a hotel and a residential complex is also awaited.
An announcement has been made of the 2015 opening of a hotel complex containing 151 rooms by Wyndham Resort Papagayo Yu, in Playa Panama, Guanacaste.
From a statement issued by the Wyndham Hotel Group:
Wyndham Hotel Group, with approximately 7,540 hotels and which is part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, announced today the signing of a franchise agreement for the first resort in Costa Rica of the luxury brand Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, the Wyndham Resort Papagayo Yu in Guanacaste.