SAN-AI, The Palms Hotel in Chalan Kiya is set to shut down operations by the end of June as a result of the CNMI tourism slump and economic uncertainties.
San-Ai is the first member of the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands to close down this year.
Daisuke Watanabe, San-Ai manager, yesterday said the hotel had been unable to recover losses.
“The business is not doing good, but all our employees will still be working here up to June 30,” Watanabe told Variety.
The hotel has about 20 employees.
Hideto Toyoda, San-Ai general manager, said there were more than 10 Japanese investors who expressed interest in taking over the operations of the hotel.
“That’s all we can say,” he added.
According to Watanabe, the hotel may be sold at about $1 million.
“We are close to choosing the buyer,” Watanabe added.
San-Ai has 35 cottage-type rooms with a connecting door inside. Rooms are available in 57, 68, 71, 108 and 138 sq.m. sizes, each featuring a kitchen, dining room, living room and parking.
Ron Sablan, HANMI president, said the economic situation “has been hurting a lot of businesses and hotels.”
“It’s a concern that we have. HANMI is working together to lessen the impact, look into other strategies and to improve on what we have now,” said Sablan in a separate interview.
No other hotel is on the verge of closure “at this time,” he said.
