Hospitality
Herdmanston Lodge is a hotel in Guyana. Our aim was to design an inclusive, elegant, contemporary space that is warm and welcoming!
The Herdmanston Lodge extension project is the enhancement of one of the well-established Colonial-style Lodges in Guyana’s capital city. The newly constructed extension sits three storeys high and can be described as a monument of the colonial architecture surrounding and a window to the future of contemporary architecture in Georgetown.
Herdmanston Lodge: Article written by Dave Martin
These days, with so many justifiable complaints about the number of uninspiring buildings going up around Georgetown, one has to say hats off to Dee and Michael George for the style and flair they have shown in the expansion of the Herdmanston Lodge facilities by adding the building next door to their property. The quality of the renovation they have done in converting the old GuySuCo meeting premises in Queenstown, to twin with the Lodge, is impressive These days, with so many justifiable complaints about the number of uninspiring buildings going up around Georgetown, one has to say hats off to Dee and Michael George for the style and flair they have shown in the expansion of the Herdmanston Lodge facilities by adding the building next door to their property. The quality of the renovation they have done in converting the old GuySuCo meeting premises in Queenstown, to twin with the Lodge, is impressive. Working closely with architect Rawle Jordan, they have come up with an intriguing approach, marrying established Guyanese styles and modern influences, to produce a level of hotel accommodation and meeting space not found anywhere else in Guyana. The exterior design of the building has a boutique hotel look in a three-storey configuration that is perfectly at home in residential Queenstown while still capturing the impact of state-of-the-art exteriors and accommodations. A striking feature of the design is the retention of the circular windows, a feature of the original building, which has been replicated by the architect in several areas of the exterior; it makes for an eye-catching motif which could become a trademark for the hotel. The Georges have chosen to retain aspects of our ‘sugar culture’ in the renovation/expansion work by naming the five original rooms in the building after traditional Guyana sugar estates (Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall, Enmore, Wales) and have done research to find the names of other former estates to be applied to the 14 new rooms in the structure. Worth noting is the high standard of finish that is evident in all the work done in the refurbishing and in the quality of the furniture and room fittings. One can see the emphasis on guest comfort in the spacious areas on the ground floor and in the modern fixtures in all the guest rooms. Working closely with architect Jordan, the Georges have combined their own ideas, with feedback from clients of Herdmanston Lodge, and the result is a winner. On a day when you’re feeling despondent about things going wrong in Guyana, I recommend a visit to Herdmanston (they’re very friendly) as an antidote. Before you even set foot inside, the exterior design of the new building will make you bring out your camera, and you will come out of your tour impressed that an all-Guyanese team were able to reach such a high standard.