BY OYAOL NGIRAIRIKL
Journal staff
The Palau Mangrove Resort is the first hotel, or business, to break ground as Palau works to begin its post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
“The groundbreaking of the Palau Mangrove Hotel & Resort is a vote of confidence for the future of tourism in Palau,” said Alan Seid during a sunset ceremony at Palau Pacific Resort on Nov. 30. “We’re going to hire Palauans first … before recruiting out of country.”
Seid and Jackson Henry, who is running for Palau’s Olbiil Era Kelulau, or national legislature, are advisors on the project to investor Chen Weiqiang of Palau Destiny Partners.
Henry said Weiqiang had initially been looking at Yap of the Federated States of Micronesia but it didn’t pan out. So Weiqiang turned to Palau and with the help of Seid was able to get the property. Then the work of getting the necessary permits began. Then COVID-19 struck. It was only this year, 2022, three years after starting the process were they able to get all the documents necessary to break ground and start work.
President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. and investor Chen Weiqiang of Palau Destiny Partners with advisors Jackson Henry and Alan Seid. (From left back row) Henry, Koror State governor Eyos Rudimch, and Seid and (from left front row_ are Sen. Secilil Eldebechel, Weiqiang, Whipps, and Del. Lucio Ngiraiwet.
Photo by Oyaol Ngirairikl
The Palau Mangrove resort will be located in Koror.
Rendering courtesy of Palau Destiny Partners
In brief remarks through a translator, Weiqiang shared his pleasure to work with Seid and Henry and having received the support needed to open the new hotel. Like Seid, Weiqiang said he is also very confident in Palau’s future and is excited to see the hotel get up and running to welcome many tourists.
The luxury resort will feature 63 rooms, restaurants and a banquet hall and a roof deck in an eight-story tower and five three-story villas with a view of the ocean. There also will be three levels of basement parking, and three barracks for staff. The tower will include 37 rooms. The rooms at the villas will boast two-bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room, living room area, and a swimming pool. Prices for the rooms were not discussed.
The hotel itself also will have a gym, a coffee shop, banquet hall and conference room and a swimming pool. The hotel, according to Henry is so named to reflect the mangrove trees that the hotel also will overlook. mbj