The owners of Xiaos Henderson Hotel have invested $40 million in the construction of the 60-room facility.
The hotel is located close to Honiara International Airport within Malango Ward, Central Guadalcanal.
Managing Director You Qiang Xiao, a Solomon Islands citizen of Chinese origin, confirmed the investment through a company representative but declined to provide further details.
Former Deputy Police Commissioner Walter Kola, who spoke on behalf of the company during the grand opening on Saturday, acknowledged ANZ Bank for its support.
“Your trust and investment have been instrumental in bringing this venture to life,” Mr Kola said.
Both local and overseas construction teams worked on the project, which was completed within one year. Key contractors included Shaanxi Guangrun Engineering Co. Ltd, Gaozhou City Dabashou Commercial Co. Ltd, and Guangdong Honglin Construction Ltd.
Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Philip Sukibuka, thanked the Solomon Islands Government for supporting the hotel through approved investment incentives and exemptions aimed at reducing start-up costs and encouraging quality developments in priority sectors such as tourism.
Mr Sukibuka said the Government continues to focus on five key areas to support tourism operators: improving enabling infrastructure; strengthening destination marketing and branding; expanding tourism and hospitality skills training; maintaining a supportive policy and regulatory environment; and deepening collaboration between government and the private sector to build a sustainable and resilient tourism industry.
He said the Ministry has a strong interest in partnering closely with the management of Xioas Henderson Hotel to access the Chinese tourism market.
“Given your cultural understanding, networks, and market insights, we see valuable opportunities to work together on targeted promotion, service readiness, and market development that will help grow arrivals and further advance our national tourism goals,” Mr Sukibuka said.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
