Lava Hotel Ground Breaks In Apia

A new hotel to be built along the Sogi strip towards the Mulinu’u peninsula is expected to be opened in 2019 after the ground breaking ceremony in Apia yesterday.

Owned by the Digicel mobile phone company, the three storey Lava Hotel will have 52 rooms.

The Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi acknowledged the Lava Hotel owner, Digicel Samoa for the initiative despite the delay in getting the project moving.

“This should have been done years ago, but work only started when Samoa Airways took to the skies,” said Tuilaepa.

Digicel Chairman for the Pacific Group, Pepe Christian Fruean said the vision for the Lava Hotel came about after Parliament passed the Tourism and Hotel Development Incentives Act 2003, which other hotel developers such as Return to Paradise and Aggie Grey’s Bungalows Resort & Sheraton Hotel at Mulifanua quickly took advantage of.

The Act allows companies or investors to hold off paying taxes for some time and use their money to develop projects that would help create employment opportunities for the public.

Pepe said the Lava Hotel represents Digicel second investment in the hospitality industry in  Samoa and since Digicel’s establishment in Samoa in 2006, they have always tried to aim high with its vision for the future in the field of telecommunications.

“It has continued to show bold leadership in terms of vision, passion and energy  that brings  a new technology  and innovation to its customers  and community that we operate in.”

He said Digicel is bringing the same components to the operation of the Lava Hotel project hence it’s investment of $35 million in phase one of the project, with further development phases to follow.

The project will create 50 employment opportunities and 80 plus permanent hospitality jobs created to run the hotel.  The three-storey hotel will hold 52 first class rooms including a restaurant, bar and pool facility dedicated to cater 130 people, a board room and private courtyard.

“It is expected that Lava Hotel will turn over $9 million per annum in foreign exchange from visitors,” said Pepe.

He also credited the timely construction of the hotel with the Apia Waterfront Development Project launched last year.

The Cabella Pacific Construction Ltd has been awarded the contract for the project that is expected to be opened in 2019.

(Source: Talamua On-Line News Business 14 December 2017)

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