El Salvador is starting a housing development between subdivisions, residences and apartments, as well as commercial construction with hotels with different capacities and amenities.
CentralAmericaData's Commercial section provides an up-to-date list of public and private construction projects that have submitted Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to the respective institutions in each country.
Adapting spaces in the restaurant area, selling themselves to tourists as a clean and safe establishment, are some of the strategies that hotel sector businessmen plan to apply in order to adjust to the new commercial reality resulting from the health emergency.
The spread of covid-19 has forced health authorities to restrict the mobility of people and to close several establishments, with hotels being one of the most affected.
Following the spread of covid-19 and the restrictions placed on people's mobility, the country's hotel sector warns that there is a risk of bankruptcy if a financial rescue plan is not implemented.
Managers of the Salvadoran Association of Small Hotels of El Salvador (Hopes) claim that hotels and the tourism sector were among the first to receive the economic impact of the crisis resulting from the health emergency, and will be among the last to recover.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement to open a new facility at the Captalino World Trade Center complex by mid-2020.
Hilton San Salvador will have 198 rooms, 27 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, two boardrooms and 16 meeting units. The building is located in Colonia Escalon.
After two years of negotiations, the Terrace Hotel located in San Salvador, has become a new affiliate of the US chain Best Western.
After reaching an agreement with the Best Western corporation, which includes investment in adapting the infrastructure of the facilities, the name of the hotel has changed from Hotel Terraza to Hotel Best Western Terraza Plus.
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.
The 130-room Marriott Fairfield hotel started operations at the La Gran Vía shopping center in San Salvador.
With an investment of $17 million, the developer Urbánica opened the doors of the new Marriott Fairfield hotel.The property will focus on the business tourism segment as does the Marriott Courtyard, developed in the same area.
The union of hotel projects has increased the number of rooms available this year by 300 and in 2018 it is estimated there will be a further 100.
The expansion plans of existing hotels and construction of new ones were announced by officials at the Salvadoran Association of Hotels (ASH), which stated that the new rooms will be located"...
The US budget accommodation group G6 Hospitality has announced that within five years it will build ten hotels in Belize, Costa Rica and Panama.
From a statement issued by G6 Hospitality:
DALLAS, Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- G6 Hospitality, known for its iconic economy lodging brands, Motel 6 and Studio 6 in the U.S. and Canada, today announced that it is extending its footprint to Central America.
Although major hotel brands claim not to be affected, the growing supply of houses and apartments for short stays, is forcing hotels to change their methods of attracting guests in order to survive.
Airbnb, VRBO and Homeaway are just some of the countless websites where owners rent their houses or apartments to tourists, who increasingly opt for this alternative to conventional hotels worldwide, and Central America is no exception.
An announcement has been made for the 2016 opening of a Fairfield hotel by Marriott, a 130-room hotel in San Salvador, situated next to La Gran Via shopping center.
From a statement by Marriott International:
Marriott International has announced its plans to open a hotel with 130 rooms under the Fairfield by Marriott brand in El Salvador. The hotel will be located next to La Gran Via shopping center and close to companies such as Xerox, Citibank, the World Bank, Bayers and Siemens. The hotel will serve as an excellent accommodation choice for frequent business travelers. The hotel will be developed by Dueñas Hermanos Ltda. And managed by Marriott International under a long-term agreement.
Latam Hotel Corporation will build and operate, beggining in 2016, a Hyatt Place hotel with 140 rooms in the Cascadas shopping center in San Salvador.
From a statement issued by the Agency for Investment Promotion and Export El Salvador (Proesa):
With an investment of more than USD 36 million, the Government of El Salvador in conjunction with Latam Hotel Corporation has laid the first stone where the Hyatt Place San Salvador hotel will be built.
In a partnership with Central American businessmen five Park Hyatt hotels will be built in the capitals of Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and two in Honduras.
From a statement by the Hyatt Hotels Corporation:
"Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a master development plan with LATAM hotel Corp. to develop 10 Hyatt Place hotels in Central America and Mexico and that Hyatt affiliates have signed franchise agreements with LATAM hotel Corp. The five hotels are: Hyatt Place Managua in Nicaragua, Guatemala Hyatt Place in Guatemala City, Hyatt Place San Salvador in El Salvador, and the Hyatt Place San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa Hyatt Place in Honduras .
In the past 20 years hotels have had to adapt to much more informed clients, who are less loyal and have broader interests.
An article on Hosteltur.com reviews the evolution of the hospitality industry, in times of globalization and most of all the possibilities offered by the Internet.
The Secretary General of CEHAT, Ramón Estalella, notes that "...
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.