PARAMARIBO, Suriname–Travel and tourism organization METS has revealed plans to build an airport hotel near the Johan Adolf Pengel (JAP) Airport at Zanderij. Director Armand Bhagwandas says that this is an old idea that should have been realized years ago.

The hotel will be built at Cola Kreek, a swimming spot located in the middle of nature, at a short distance from the airport. “The hotel will be able to accommodate passengers transferring at the JAP Airport or passengers who are in Suriname for just a day or two,” Bhagwandas said, emphasizing that it is definitely not the intention to compete against other existing hotels in the country. “It’s all about the comfort of the passenger,” he said.

He hinted that a passenger transiting at the airport most likely does not want to undertake the one-hour, 50 kilometer drive to Paramaribo, but currently he has no choice. The airport hotel is supposed to fill that void. “Aside from our hotel, we’ll also set up arrangements for passengers to pass their transit time in the area,” Bhagwandas said.

Established in 1962, METS operates several tourism resorts and hotels in Suriname, among which Cola Creek and the Residence Hotels in Paramaribo and Nieuw Nickerie.