new $81m

Business

Hilton to nun new $81m resort in Fiji

By Sophie Foster Hildebrand

ONE of the world’s most suc cessful hotel chains, The Hilton, has signed a deal for a new $8 1 million (US$4O million) resort in Malomalo, Sigatoka. The resort will have from 300 to 350 rooms. The deal was

signed in Sydney, Australia.

American investor Ray Holden is providing the capital to build the resort that is "all set to go and all offshore money”.

Mr Holden also owns the freehold land on which the resort will stand.

The freehold land in question was involved in a complex land case that pitted Mr Holden against the lawyer he had hired to handle the land trans fer.

Mr Holden won the case in Fiji’s High Court.

In his judgement, Justice John Lyons said docu ments used in the land transfer were "mislead ing, deceptive and dis honest”. It is understood that plans for the resort

would have gone ahead earlier had it not been for the land dispute.

Mr Holden said The Hilton had signed a management contract for 25 years that would result in Fiji being marketed as a premier Hilton resort.

“Reservations will be booked through their international reservations system all

over the world, and all of their advertising then will feature Fiji as one of their pre mier resorts,” he said.

The five-star resort should employ about 2000 people.

Architects Pacific is the lead architect for the project, while a company out of Australia is the Project Management com pany.

The company was hoping to have all bids for construction back by this month, with construction to begin in January.

In late October Mr Holden met with Fiji’s finance minister Jim Ah Koy who has committed to seal the road that comes off the Queens Highway back to the resort.

However, Mr Holden said, “I am actu ally going to pay for the road and then once the road is done and the project’s done because it’s all tied to me completely the resort - then they’ll reimburse me for the cost of sealing the road”.

“As part of the same project, when I talked to Jim Ah Koy was perhaps extend ing that same road to Natadola for the Four Seasons Hotel, because that’s a- shorter route for them to take then the other way which requires a bridge to be built,” he said.

“It would be less expensive for govern ment if they would continue that road through the nearby villages who are in

need of a better road and better transportation through there.

Nadari Road would run all the way from the Queens Highway to Natadola and to the other hotel projects that are going to be there at Natadola”.

Fiji’s tourism minister David Pickering said he was delighted with the

Hilton project.

“It will be a very, very big boost for the industry and we are delighted to hear it,” he said. The Hilton’s vice-president for corporate develop ment Mr Hugh Holmes could not be reached for comment but the compa ny is understood to be pleased with the out come. Mr Holmes is based in Hong Kong. ■

Colombia’s President Ernesto Samper receives a beer from a waiter as he relaxes in the bar of the Hilton Hotel after the closing ceremony of the lberoamerican Summit, Sunday, Nov. 9,1997, in Porlamar, Venezuela. (AP Photo)