Chief Sec: THA will support Marriott-brand hotel at Rocky Point

CHIEF Secretary Farley Augustine has announced the THA will support the proposed construction of a $500 million Marriott-brand hotel at Rocky Point, Tobago.

The first-class hotel and property development, to be undertaken by Superior Hotels TT, was announced in September 2021 during the PNM-led THA’s term in office.

It will be built on approximately 28 acres of land on the western side of Grafton Road and south of Pleasant Prospect. Construction is expected to begin in 2023.

The project comprises 200 rooms, 28 duplex residences, 11-single family villas and 12 fully outfitted townhouses. It is expected to provide employment for 750 people during construction.

In the THA’s $3.97 billion budget presentation in the Assembly Legislature on Thursday, Augustine said he has held preliminary discussions on improving Tobago’s room stock with two investors, one of whom is associated with the Rocky Point development.

“Collectively, these two investors will result in an injection of approximately $1.5 billion in the Tobago economy, should they materialise. Both investments are likely to add about 850 rooms in the next three years,” he said.

“One of these investments relates to the tricky Rocky Point Hotel. This project started in the most troubling manner, but we are attempting to responsibly manage this project in the interest of our Tobagonians.”

told the House when the Progressive Democratic Patriots took office in December 2021, the developers for the Rocky Point project said they had had no formal conversation with the THA.

“It is unbelievable that a tourism-related project, a fifth-schedule item of that magnitude, was planned for Tobago without Tobago leadership input. They plan it and a chief secretary just sit down like a moo-moo and clap.”

Augustine said after learning of these developments, his administration "did the responsible thing," and invited the principals to Tobago to tour the land and to meet the stakeholders. He said they intend "to monitor and work closely with the developers to ensure that all the concerns that were raised are addressed to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.”

The THA is awaiting final designs and plans “commensurate with those concerns.

He said the construction phase for both investments will provide approximately 1,050 jobs for young Tobagonians and approximately 425 full-time jobs on commissioning and full operations.

He said Tobago needs 5,000 high-end rooms to build a viable tourism sector, and the current shortfall is about 2,500 rooms.

Augustine also announced the THA is pursuing divestment options in relation to the “troubling” Manta Lodge and Sanctuary resorts, which the PNM bought in 2014 “and continue to attract millions of dollars in expenditure annually.”

He also said the THA will foot the bill from its airlift support resources to ensure the ANR Robinson Airport stays open for longer hours to accommodate more Caribbean Airlines flights between Trinidad and Tobago, as CAL’s current 12 daily flights to Tobago have not resulted in significant bookings on the island.

“Tobago is service-driven, tourism-led. For an economy such as ours to be buoyant, it will require predictable, sufficient and reliant air and sea transport.

"At my last check (Wednesday), last night, the current offerings by CAL of 12 flights daily are sold out until after Tobago Carnival in October and even beyond. And while this is so, guest house capacity remains at max 50 per cent bookings.”

He said he was told it cost too much to keep the airport open until 1.30am.

“In other words, it is too costly to keep the Tobago airport open until 1.30 am, while Trinidad airport is open 24 hours per day.”

Augustine said he checked with the Airport Authority and discovered it would cost $16,800 to keep the airport open until 2 am daily.

“Somebody in central government thinks it is too costly to pay $16,800 per day to keep the Tobago airport open for this economy to get moving again. Madam Presiding Officer (Abby Taylor), we propose to foot the bill from our airlift support resources to keep the keep the Tobago airport open until 1.30 am.”

Saying air and seaports were part of the fifth schedule, Augustine declared, “This is a clear signal from this administration that we do not just want autonomy, but we are ready for the responsibility.

“CAL will now have no excuses. The movement of CAL between the both islands is an essential service, and it is the duty of the central government to foot such an operation.

"Therefore, I am using this platform to say to CAL: please return to full capacity.”