The Zoom Inn Hotel, located at 109 Croal Street, Georgetown is on the market, only a year and a half after it was opened to business during the  Cricket World Cup hype with high expectations.

It is believed that the sale is a result of poor occupancy.
According to an advertisement in the Guyana Times, bids are being invited from persons interested in purchasing the property.

The ad, which says ‘For sale by bids’ says the hotel is located at a prime spot in Central Georgetown and describes it as a four-storey building with 30 air-conditioned single and double rooms equipped with television, mini-bar, telephone, wireless internet, restaurant/ bar and conference area.

Bidders are asked to contact the hotel’s co-owner Bibi Singh at the business place, Japarts at 38 Croal Street, Stabroek or on telephone 225-1831.

Stabroek News sought an interview with the owners of the hotel but was directed to an employee of Japarts who told this newspaper that the reasons for the sale of the hotel were confidential. His brief remarks were, “We want no story on the hotel.”

The Zoom Inn hotel was officially opened by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on March 24, 2007.

President Bharrat Jagdeo who toured the facility in April 2007 said he was impressed with what he had seen.

During the CWC, GINA reported that based on Zoom Inn’s marketing strategy the hotel secured 75 percent occupancy and shortly after, it enjoyed a 40 per cent occupancy rate. Since then Stabroek News learnt that the occupancy rate dropped even lower, which is one of the current problems facing the country’s hospitality industry on the whole.

During the President’s visit to the hotel, Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad, who accompanied Jagdeo had revealed that his ministry was planning to host a special conference for those in the accommodation sector, which co-owner Terry Singh had said was an initiative that would give a boost to those in the accommodation business.

One source close to the Zoom Inn Hotel told this newspaper that the current poor occupancy rate, which is also related to marketing, is one of the big problems facing the hotel while other problems were related to the high rate of staff turnover, maintaining committed staff and providing reliable services.

These problems, the source said, were now posing challenges to the owners who underestimated the level of resources that had to be spent to maintain quality customer care when the tourism and hospitality industry was in a slump. “Rather than reducing the quality of service, they prefer to sell it,” the source said.

Zoom Inn was one of several hotels which sprung up during the Cricket World Cup 2007.
It has joined Buddy’s International Hotel in seeking new owners. Buddy’s, which was built for Cricket World Cup 2007 has since been sold by businessman Omprakash Shivraj. It is expected to be handed over to the new owners next month.

A structure, which was being built for CWC 2007, the Casique Palace, Suites and Banqueting Hall, is still incomplete and was also recently advertised for sale.