Regions International
Seattle Developer to Build 6 Casino Resorts in Guatemala
Nov 14, 2008
By: Scott Baltic, Contributing Editor

An affiliate of Seattle-based Alekson Development Group has signed an agreement with the Guatemalan Gaming Agency that will allow the company to build six casino/hotel/golf destination resorts over the next 10 years.

Fin City Associates is based in Guatemala City and will be starting first on the resort there, with a second phase to consist of developments in Puerto Quetzal, on the Pacific coast, and in Antigua, in the central highlands.

Resorts on Lake Atitlan in the southwestern highlands, a volcanic lake that is Central America’s deepest lake, and in Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast and in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan will eventually follow.

An Alekson spokesperson told CPN that land acquisition is under way on all six sites. Information on the size of the resorts was not available at presstime.

Architecture and construction management will be handled by Alekson/GW, an affiliate of Alekson and Group West Cos. Group West has extensive experience designing casinos and resorts, especially those on Native American reservations.

In Guatemala, the spokesperson explained, all gaming licenses are reviewed by and issued through the not-for-profit Fundacion Pediatrica Guatemalteca (Guatemalan Pediatric Foundation), which has had exclusive authority in this area since 1989, under an act of the Guatemalan Congress. The FPG is entitled to a percentage of all casino winnings and uses that funding for education and medical care for Guatemalan children.

 
Recent International Headlines
While Hotel Investment Activity Languishes in the U.S., Market Remains Viable in Brazil
Plagued by the global recession that has slashed both business and pleasure travel, the hotel market is suffering on an international level and investors have backed away from buying or building in most locations, with a few exceptions--like Brazil. According to a new report by real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the positive long-term growth forecast for Brazil is popping up on the radar of those who are in the position to invest.
While Hotel Investment Activity Languishes in the U.S., Market Remains Viable in Brazil
Plagued by the global recession that has slashed both business and pleasure travel, the hotel market is suffering on an international level and investors have backed away from buying or building in most locations, with a few exceptions--like Brazil. According to a new report by real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the positive long-term growth forecast for Brazil is popping up on the radar of those who are in the position to invest.
Tokyo is Priciest Market as Climate Favors Office Tenants Worldwide: CBRE
Tenants have the edge in most of the world’s major office markets, concludes an analysis by CB Richard Ellis Inc. Class A rents are sliding dramatically and vacancy is ticking upwards in nearly every region, according to the study published last week.
Hotel Construction Pipeline Sluggish Throughout EMEA Region
Not surprisingly, the global recession is negatively impacting hotel development throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, according to Lodging Econometrics' Q1 2009 construction pipeline report for the region.