State Trading Organization (STO) has stated that the operations of the five star property of the company will only be started in one part of the hotel.
STO Managing Director Adam Azim reported that the hotel operations will start end of this year. However, at the rate of progress, operations will start in on 150 rooms. He added that the company would also announce 250 employment opportunities in August. Azim further added that the opportunity would be open for Maldivians and that this would be an excellent opportunity for applicants.
The property will have 250 rooms and 500 beds, along with a shopping center, meeting rooms as well as the general facilities available in any city hotel.
The hotel had been leased to the Carlson group under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2008, with work commencing on the project in mid 2012. At the time of the agreement, STO stated that a total of MVR 115 million is expected to go into the project and that operations can begin in 2013.
Azim said that the main reason for the delay in the project was due to the lack of funding for the project.
The hotel would be part of the "Radisson Blue" chain to be managed by Carlsson Group.