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.
In the department of La Libertad, a 4,000 square meter beach hotel is being built, which will include a restaurant for 300 people, a wedding chapel and an event center.
Hotel Acantilados, which is reportedly 85% complete, will be ready to open its doors in September of this year, according to its directors.It is located at kilometer 41.5 of the Litoral highway, in La Libertad, and the total investment amounts to $5 million.
The Mexican airline Volaris will be suspending its services as of July 1, and the luxury resort hotel Mukul, in Guacalito, has announced the indefinite closure of its operations.
The crisis that has been going on in the country for the last month continues to harm the tourism business sector.The airline Volaris reported that it will temporarily suspend services to Managua from next week, and the luxury hotel Mukul Auberge Resorts Collection, in the South Pacific, announced on Friday that it will close its operations indefinitely.
In the past 12 months, 78 environmental impact studies were submitted to develop hotels, marinas, clubs and beach residences in Central American countries.
Data from the interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData:
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.
A property belonging to the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation will be offered to companies with experience in tourist oceanfront management.
Laprensagrafica.com reports that "The Minister of Tourism, Napoleon Duarte, presented yesterday to the Committee of the Legislative Assembly details of a proposed sale of state property in order to build a hotel."
Having hotel guests take home a product marked with your name or brand is the best way to differentiate yourself from competitors.
Competition is very tough and the internet has made global hotel deals transparent, so positively differentiating yourself and making clients remember you is vital for getting a return stay at your hotel.
Julie Weed's article (The New York Times), published in Elnuevodiario.com.ni, remarks that it is no longer enough to have bathrobes, bedding and pillows monogrammed if you want to secure the hotel brand in the customer's mind and make them decide to return.
The Colombian Decameron Group is expanding its investments in Latin America in 2012, including the opening of two hotels in Costa Rica and one in Panama.
In Costa Rica, Decameron will open this year a 330-room Royal Decameron Irazu in San Jose, and one in Jaco Beach, with 130 rooms.
"In April, they will open the first Hard Rock hotel in Central and South America, which will be located in Panama and will have 1,463 rooms.
In order to attract the attention of investors, entrepreneurs have created a portfolio of six major projects for tourism development.
The Association of Coastal Marine Tourist Developers (Promar in Spanish), led by renowned Salvadoran entrepreneurs, recently presented the Government with an ambitious portfolio of six mega resorts with high potential to attract investment to the country, to be run in the next 14 years, and which is valued at $2 billion.
'Playa Secreta' (Secret Beach), a touristic project located in La Union's coastline is in hold, waiting for environmental permits.
The project comprises resorts, bungalows, marina, golf courses and the development of 11 hotels in the next 10 years.
"We are waiting for environmental permits. Once we have them, we will start the project", said
Mario Guerrero Argueta, president of 'Grupo Guerrero' and project leader.
An ambitious beach resort, calculated to be approximately 692 acres, is being developed in the east of the country.
The project which includes a golf course, several hotels, a residential complex, open areas, plazas with arts and crafts shops, a supermarket and convenience stores, and will be based on the architectural layout of Antigua in Guatemala.
Spain's Barceló hotels group announced plans to build three more hotels in Central America.
Speaking in Managua, Juan José Ribas, the chain's regional director, said one of the new hotels would be built in the Nicaraguan capital and another in Panama. He did not say where the third would be built.