A 28-storey luxury hotel and convention centre that is due to be the tallest in the South Pacific is rising along Suva’s Grantham Rd by WG International Real Estate Company Fiji Limited.
The Chinese company has pumped about $115 million into its WG Friendship Plaza, with an inventory of over 300 rooms, a conference facility, observatory towner, boutique shopping arcade and healthcare and entertainment complexes.
Speaking at an official ground-breaking ceremony for the project this week, the Minister for Local Government, Parveen Kumar said the investment was another inspiration from its One Belt, One Road strategy, and added that there were already Chinese provincial cities that had sister-city partnerships with local towns and cities.
“With its strategic location and accessibility on MacGregor Rd, this project will see enormous potential and a thriving address to a range of patrons from both Fiji and internationally,” Kumar said.
“Positioned as a contemporary hospitality hub, it is poised to enjoy great catchment from all over Fiji and the Pacific with its closer access and locational reach to public offices, tertiary institutions and hospitals.
“My ministry views this project as yet another instrument that would promote the city’s growth in Fiji’s changing multicultural environment. A substantial number of indicators show the sign of economic growth predicted by the International Monetary Fund and can be seen in such developments as this. It is believed that the hospitality industry contributes a major chunk to this growth. In Fiji we need a big, healthy dose of such modern facilities that would sumptuously feed into our economy.”
Kumar said that to build a strong and prosperous economy, Fiji needs to be highly competitive at local government level, with the ultimate benefits mutual to both the investment group and the country.
“This will not only drive the return on investments through sales but also drive the local economy- including through the creation of local jobs. I am confident that this hotel complex will be completed within timeframes so Suva, Fiji and the region can enjoy not just the luxury and comfort of a true, great hospitality but also the fruits of economic growth.”
He added that Zhejiang Wanguo Architectural Design Co Ltd was a key enterprise from the developer’s Zhejiang Province in China and had successfully worked with both the Suva City Council and Ministry for Local Government.
The project is expected to boost the capital city’s inventory for quality accommodation, particularly as recent statistical figures for June noted visitor arrivals increasing by nearly 5 per cent.
“It only takes one major international conference or an exhibition and all hotels and rooming capacities are bursting at the seams.”
The hotel development will also house a modern event facility and expected to launch an iconic exemplar within Suva’s corporate event management space.
Construction is due to be completed in May 2018.
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