Only two companies, both from off island, submitted offers in response to the the request for proposals for the development of the old Rainmaker hotel site.
The RFP titled the American Samoa tourism revitalization initiative hotel site development closed February 29.
This was the second time the same RFP has been advertised.
Acting chief procurement officer Sapi Ma’o Ena said the companies which submitted proposals were Destination Hotel Partners LLC & Integrated Engineered Energy Solutions LLC and Lively Architects.
Lively Architects is the Honolulu based company that designed the Centennial Building.
Destination Hotel Partner LLC and Integrated Engineered Energy Solutions is a company based in New York City.
According to its website its forte is creating hotels with key demand generating destinations including colleges, universities, airports and medical centers on a global basis.
The acting CPO says a Source Evaluation Board has been meeting and thoroughly reviewing the submitted proposals.
She explains as negotiations are still on going and this is considered an open procurement in that it hasn’t been concluded, she cannot comment any further.
According to the scope of work for the hotel RFP, the selected developer would build a 250-room hotel that would have a 3 ½ star rating at the site where the old Rainmaker Hotel once stood in Utulei.
The package would include proposals for the design, construction, financing, operations and maintenance of a hotel facility which shall be four stories high.
The hotel site includes the 4.5 acres that has been cleared and the 1.78 acres currently occupied by Sadies by the Sea Hotel.
The Scope of Work says a determination of whether the acres occupied by Sadies would be included in the new development is contingent upon successful negotiation and purchase of Sadies by the Sea Hotel with the owners.
In addition to the hotel site development, there are parallel efforts underway to ensure that the desired occupancy rates for the hotel development and existing hotels are adequately supported.
In that regard ASG is actively pursuing various solutions to improve air transportation to the territory addressing frequency, cost and consistency.
An optional part of the Scope of Work will be three ancillary related projects: air transportation improvements, aerial tramway and the hospitality industry workforce development.
