Senior Reporter
andrea.perez-sobers
@guardian.co.tt
The uncertain future of the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre is fuelling anxiety across this country’s tourism sector, with tourism officials and economists warning that delays in reaching an agreement could hurt business confidence, tourism planning and the country’s international reputation.
Former tourism minister Randall Mitchell said certainty is critical for the country’s tourism industry and called on the Government to bring negotiations over the hotel’s future to a swift conclusion.
The Hilton Trinidad, he said, has been part of the country’s tourism landscape since opening in 1962 and remains one of only two large, full-service hotels on the island. Over the decades it has accommodated heads of government, international conferences, sporting delegations and thousands of visitors.
Mitchell said the uncertainty extends well beyond the hotel itself.
“Tourism depends on certainty and predictability. Workers need certainty about their jobs. Conference organisers and visitors booking months in advance need certainty.”
He said the availability of hotel rooms is vital to the success of Carnival 2027, while airlines, tour operators, suppliers, event promoters and investors also require confidence when making business decisions. Mitchell acknowledged that governments inherit negotiations from previous administrations, but said resolving the issue is now the responsibility of the current administration.
He maintained that substantial work had already been completed during the previous administration and that the framework for an agreement was largely in place. Mitchell urged the Government to act decisively to restore confidence for workers, guests, suppliers and the wider tourism sector.
Vice-president of the Tourism Industry Association of T&T Charles Carvalho said the central question is whether the Government intends to retain the Hilton brand or replace it with another international operator.
He said that decision would have significant implications for marketing T&T as a tourism destination. Carvalho argued that hotel renovation costs should not be viewed as the main obstacle, noting that international hotel operators routinely invest millions annually to maintain their properties. Instead, he said, stakeholders need clarity on the Government’s long-term vision for the landmark hotel.
“The key point at this time is what is the Government’s vision for the hotel,” Carvalho said.
He added that financing hotel developments is achievable, pointing to Trinidadian investors who have financed hotel projects throughout Barbados, St Vincent, St Lucia, Grenada and Antigua.
Economist Dr Jamelia Harris said the possibility that Hilton could cease operating from September 18 introduces another layer of uncertainty into an economy already experiencing employment challenges.
She noted that the announcement follows official data showing about 6,000 jobs were lost between December 2025 and March 2026, alongside reports of several business closures this year.
Harris said workers naturally face anxiety over their future, particularly as questions remain over who would ultimately become responsible for their employment if Hilton exits the property.
She added that suppliers serving the hotel would also feel the impact of whatever decision is eventually made. Beyond the immediate employment concerns, Harris said the issue should also be viewed in a broader historical and economic context.
She noted that the Hilton opened in 1962 on the former site of the Governor’s residence as part of the country’s Independence story. She also pointed out that the lease signed in 2003 expired in 2023 and has since been extended while negotiations have continued for several years, creating uncertainty that does little to strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s ease of doing business reputation.
Harris also stressed that even if the Port-of-Spain property no longer operates under the Hilton brand, Hilton itself is not leaving this country. Earlier this year, construction began on the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in San Fernando, while other Hilton partnerships have also been announced, suggesting future hotel investment may increasingly shift beyond the capital.
More than 300 workers at the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre face an uncertain future after Hilton International Trinidad Limited advised the Communications Workers’ Union that it could stop operating the hotel when its lease expires on September 18, if a new agreement with state-owned Evolving TecKnologies and Enterprise Development Company Limited (eTeCK) is not finalised.
Hilton has said months of negotiations with eTecK resulted in excellent progress but no final agreement has been reached. eTeCK has maintained that neither it nor the Government has taken any decision to permanently discontinue the hotel’s operations.
