President Irfaan Ali on Saturday commissioned the SOMA Hotel, a new state-of-the-art hospitality facility in Houston, Greater Georgetown, marking another major addition to Guyana’s rapidly expanding hotel and tourism industry.
Ali said the opening of SOMA Hotel reflects the success of his government’s vision to position Guyana as a leading destination for business, tourism and investment.
“It was once a time when we were desperately trying to get one hotel,” Ali said. “Now, they are here in abundance.”
The president reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors and added that Guyana’s transformation is only beginning.
“What we are going to be building by 2030 is the most amazing, outside-of-the-box, imaginative, diversified, forward-looking economy the world has ever seen,” he said.
The SOMA Hotel is the first hospitality complex developed by CampBOSS Inc., the newly launched hospitality arm of TOTALTEC Inc., a Guyanese company that provides integrated services to the energy and construction sectors.
TOTALTEC CEO Lars Mangal said the facility reflects the company’s commitment to national development and Guyanese excellence.
“Today, SOMA stands as a symbol of progress, a demonstration of what private initiative, national collaboration, and Guyanese excellence can achieve together,” Mangal said.
Go-Invest CEO Dr. Peter Ramsaroop praised the growing number of locally owned and locally funded hotels being opened across the country, calling it a strong demonstration of confidence in the Guyanese private sector.
“We have opened many hotels over the last few months, and most of them are locally funded and locally owned. That’s what Guyana should be proud of,” Ramsaroop said.
The new hotel offers modern amenities tailored to the needs of both business and leisure travelers. It features 52 luxury rooms with plans to expand to more than 100 within a year, a restaurant that seats 88 guests including a VIP and conference dining area with a dedicated catering kitchen, a fully equipped spa and fitness center, a modern conference facility for corporate events, and a swimming pool with a rooftop terrace for recreation and relaxation.
The commissioning of SOMA Hotel underscores growing private-sector confidence in Guyana’s economy and reflects the government’s efforts to keep local investors at the forefront of the nation’s development story.