HONIARA, Solomon Islands (eTN) – Final touches to Solomon Islands’ newest and most modern hotel, the Heritage Park Hotel, will complete within the next few weeks before its formal opening next month.

Owned by the Constantinos Group from neighboring Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund, the hotel is seen by Solomon islanders as one of the finest as it will be equipped with modern facilities surpassing many of the hotels now operating in the country.

The hotel is situated alongside the Kitano Mendana Hotel on the foreshores of Central Honiara and has a good view of the Florida group of islands to the south of the capital.

It’s built on a ground once used by Solomon Islanders District Commissioners during the British rule of the islands until independence in 1978, after which the buildings and amenities were used by former governor generals until it was sold to various companies for hotel developments and later bought back by the government then sold it to the tour operators in Papua New Guinea.

The recent selling did not go smoothly as civil society groups opposed the sale saying the former government house, the house of the governor general, was a historical site and should be left as it was.

However, the government pushed on with its plan and went ahead with the sale resulting in the construction of the hotel and improvements to the former government house as an extra attraction to patrons.

The Heritage Park Hotel architects made sure the best is made available to visitors by designing facilities, such as the hotel’s restaurant, bars, room settings, gaming rooms and apartments that will be available when its opens to short- and long-term residence.

The hotel had over the past month trained local Solomon islanders in various areas in hospitality and the result has been praised by Heritage Park Hotel operational and training manager Syed Thameseeuden. “I’m pleased with the new recruits who have adjusted well after the training although they have gone through a lot of pressure by not being previously trained in the hospitality sector.”

Mr. Thameseeuden said the basis of the services the new recruits have been trained on was to provide the service that is convenient to visitors when they book into Heritage Park Hotel.

The development of the hotel is one of the biggest investments in the tourism sector in Solomon Islands with millions of dollars pump into its construction.

The hotel told eTN it is expected to open its doors for visitors next month and that the hotel has been fully booked in October from a Japanese group visiting Solomon Islands that month.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:

It's built on a ground once used by Solomon Islanders District Commissioners during the British rule of the islands until independence in 1978, after which the buildings and amenities were used by former governor generals until it was sold to various companies for hotel developments and later bought back by the government then sold it to the tour operators in Papua New Guinea.
Owned by the Constantinos Group from neighboring Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund, the hotel is seen by Solomon islanders as one of the finest as it will be equipped with modern facilities surpassing many of the hotels now operating in the country.
The hotel is situated alongside the Kitano Mendana Hotel on the foreshores of Central Honiara and has a good view of the Florida group of islands to the south of the capital.