State-owned Evolving Technologies and Enterprise Development Company Limited (eTeCK) has confirmed that negotiations over the future of the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre are in their final stages, seeking to reassure employees, guests and the wider public that the hotel is not slated for permanent closure.
The statement follows months of public speculation after reports emerged earlier this year that Hilton International Trinidad Limited was considering ending its long-standing management arrangement with the State-owned hotel. The uncertainty stemmed from the expiration of the original 20-year lease agreement in 2023, with the parties continuing discussions on a new long-term operating arrangement.
In its release on Tuesday, eTeCK said the negotiations were inherited by the current Board and Management after the lease expired and have since been advanced through what it described as a rigorous and deliberate process on behalf of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
The company stressed that negotiations remain “active and constructive” and emphasized that neither eTeCK nor the Government has made any decision to permanently discontinue operations at the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre.
eTeCK also clarified that all employees at the hotel remain employees of Hilton International Trinidad Limited, which continues to be responsible for meeting its employment obligations.
The Hilton Trinidad is owned by the State through eTeCK but has been operated for more than two decades by Hilton International Trinidad Limited under a lease operatorship agreement. That agreement expired in 2023 and has since been extended while both sides negotiate a long-term solution.
Tuesday’s statement is intended to reassure hotel workers, suppliers, guests and the public that discussions are progressing and that efforts remain focused on securing a sustainable future for one of Trinidad and Tobago’s best-known hospitality and conference facilities.
