How Radisson Hotel Trinidad became a landmark of Port-of- Spain.

Radisson Hotel Trinidad: The storied history of an icon on Wrightson Road

A landmark that reflects the journey of a nation

The Radisson Hotel Trinidad stands on Wrightson Road with the kind of quiet authority earned over decades. Its tall, rectangular frame has watched Port-of-Spain shift from a modest capital to the beating heart of a nation shaped by oil wealth, cultural evolution and a growing global presence. The building’s story covers nearly fifty years of ambition, reinvention and local pride. It mirrors Trinidad and Tobago’s own unfolding tale, beginning in an era when the country was fresh from independence and eager to project its place in the world.

The hotel’s many identities, from Holiday Inn to Crowne Plaza to Capital Plaza and now Radisson Hotel Trinidad, reveal how international chains, local entrepreneurs and shifting economies influenced not only the skyline but the rhythm of life in the capital.

Long before the building took shape, Trinidad’s hotel landscape reflected a different age. For much of the twentieth century, small downtown hotels catered to colonial visitors and business travellers. Hotel de Paris on Abercrombie Street, founded in 1870 by Louis Guiseppi, was once the pride of the city even though it offered only 34 rooms.

As air travel grew and tourism expanded in the post-war decades, the demand for modern, larger hotels increased. Local visionaries understood that Port of Spain’s future lay closer to the waterfront where expansion was possible. Figures such as Edgar Tripp championed the idea of moving hospitality westward, away from the narrow colonial streets toward open land facing the Gulf of Paria. Their vision set the stage for the building that would eventually become the Radisson Hotel Trinidad.

The birth of a new era: Holiday Inn Trinidad

The early 1970s marked a period of rapid transformation across Trinidad and Tobago. Oil revenues were expanding the economy at a remarkable pace. Independence in 1962 had energised a new generation of planners, architects and entrepreneurs who wanted Port-of-Spain to reflect a modern Caribbean nation stepping confidently onto the world stage.

Against this backdrop, construction of the new Holiday Inn commenced. Records place the completion of the structure in 1972, although the official opening for business would not arrive until 1976. Whether due to permitting delays or oil-boom pressures, the four-year gap did little to dim anticipation. When the hotel finally opened its doors, it announced that Trinidad had entered the era of international hospitality.

The building introduced architectural features rarely seen in the Caribbean at the time. Designed by Robertson Ward Associates, with lead architect David John Senior, the structure followed the post-war modernist style favoured by Holiday Inn’s global blueprint. Strong lines, functional interior design and a focus on scale allowed the property to accommodate large groups with efficiency. Its most outstanding feature crowned the top floor.

A fully revolving restaurant, the only one in the Caribbean, offered a 360-degree view of the city, the Gulf of Paria and the surrounding mountains. Locals marvelled at the novelty of a dining floor that moved gently in a complete rotation every hour, while visiting executives were eager to claim a seat that let them watch ships enter the harbour as their dinner passed beneath the city lights.

The restaurant, known over the years as The Compass, 360 Degrees and later simply 360 Restaurant, operated with a precision that seemed almost magical. Its mechanism turned slowly enough that diners hardly felt movement while still completing a full rotation by the time dessert arrived. For the young republic, this was more than a dining experience. It was an expression of innovation and confidence, a symbol that Trinidad and Tobago was ready to join the hospitality standards of much larger nations.

Holiday Inn Trinidad offered 235 rooms, making it one of the most expansive accommodations in the country at the time. Business travellers connected to the petroleum sector filled the lobby daily, and the hotel quickly became the venue of choice for diplomatic meetings, Carnival season guests and social gatherings that lasted into the early hours. It was a hotel that captured the optimism of the oil boom and became a central landmark for a generation.

Courtesy Robertson Ward Associates
Courtesy Robertson Ward Associates

A change in hands and a new local chapter

A major shift arrived in 1986 when Trinidadian entrepreneur Issa Nicholas purchased the hotel from Commonwealth Holiday Inns of Canada. Nicholas, already a respected name in regional hospitality with properties in Grenada and other islands, saw potential in establishing greater local ownership of the country’s major hotels.

The acquisition placed the building firmly in the hands of a homegrown company with local ambition and understanding of the domestic market. Through his company, Allied Hotels Limited, Nicholas oversaw efforts to maintain the hotel’s reputation while infusing elements of Trinidadian culture into the guest experience.

During these years the hotel flourished as a venue for state functions and private celebrations. Calypso bands performed for guests, and late-evening food stations introduced visitors to local flavours.

Even as global chains expanded across the Caribbean, the Wrightson Road tower retained its local spirit. Staff formed the backbone of the hotel’s identity, many serving for decades and becoming fixtures in guests’ memories. The revolving restaurant continued to draw diners who considered it a rite of passage for birthdays, anniversaries and Carnival nights out.

Rising competition and corporate realignment

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, competition in Port of Spain’s hospitality sector grew steadily. International chains were looking at Trinidad’s position as the energy capital of the Caribbean and recognising the business travel market as a lucrative opportunity. The owners responded by repositioning the hotel for a new era.

Around 2000, the property rebranded as Crowne Plaza, joining the InterContinental Hotels Group’s portfolio of upscale business hotels. This repositioning aligned with global trends. Hotel companies were segmenting brands to meet more specific traveller expectations, and Crowne Plaza brought with it an elevated level of service, training and conference capability.

For more than a decade, the hotel operated under the Crowne Plaza name. It became a central hub for international delegations, corporate summits and visiting dignitaries. The hotel’s location near embassies and government offices meant the brand upgrade was well timed. Yet by 2012 the winds of change were blowing again. Global recessionary pressures, shifts in the energy sector and the building’s ageing infrastructure pushed the owners to re-evaluate. The decision was made to end the Crowne Plaza affiliation temporarily and carry out extensive renovations.

During this period, the hotel operated independently under the name Capital Plaza. This chapter, although brief, allowed the owners more control over the renovation process and set the stage for its most significant transformation yet.

A new standard takes hold: The Radisson era

The modern era of the building began in 2014 with a relaunch that reintroduced the property to a rapidly evolving Port-of-Spain. After more than TT$30 million (US$4,430,418) in upgrades, the hotel reopened on April 7, 2014 as the Radisson Hotel Trinidad under the global Radisson Hotels banner. The launch ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, former President George Maxwell Richards and former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, reflected the building’s long-standing importance to national life.

Renovations updated the entire guest experience. The hotel expanded to 243 rooms, modernised its conference facilities, refreshed its pool area and preserved its iconic revolving restaurant. The Radisson name brought renewed international reach, booking power and a standard that aligned with the country’s aspirations as a modern business destination. Daniel Nicholas, son of Issa Nicholas, took on the role of managing director, guiding the hotel into an era defined by digital travel, hybrid conferences and a surge of interest in sustainable tourism.

The Radisson era also coincides with a wider redevelopment of the surrounding area. Adjacent to the main building, construction began on a Radisson Blu extension, set to introduce 72 new suites and create hundreds of jobs. This expansion signals the continued confidence of Issa Nicholas Holdings in Trinidad’s hospitality future.

Architecture, mystery and legacy

Although the building’s early years are well documented, one question has lingered for decades: who designed the original structure? The architect was David John Senior of Robertson Ward Associates, the firm responsible for several Holiday Inn designs across the Caribbean, including in Grenada and St Lucia.

His work fit the global standards of Holiday Inn while responding to local conditions such as tropical climate and seismic safety. This attribution deepens the architectural narrative of the site, connecting it to a broader regional portfolio of modern Caribbean hospitality design.

The building’s survival and continued relevance across so many different eras speak to the strength of its foundations. Few Caribbean hotels can claim such a multifaceted history, nor can many point to a feature as distinctive as the revolving restaurant that has remained operational for nearly half a century.

Timeline of a Trinidadian Icon

1972 – 1976 (Construction & opening):
The building was constructed in the early 1970s and officially opened in 1976 as the Holiday Inn Trinidad. It was a major landmark on Wrightson Road, catering to business travellers and tourists. (World’s first Holiday Inn outside the USA).

1976 – 2000 (The Holiday Inn era):
For over two decades, it operated as a Holiday Inn. During this time, it was one of the premier hotels in Port-of-Spain, known for its unique revolving restaurant which offered panoramic views of the city and the Gulf of Paria.

2000 – 2012 (The Crowne Plaza era):
In 2000, the hotel underwent a rebranding and upgrading exercise, becoming the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This change was intended to position the hotel more firmly in the upscale business market.

2012 – 2014 (The Capital Plaza era):
In late 2012, the hotel disaffiliated from the Crowne Plaza brand (InterContinental Hotels Group) to undergo major renovations. During this interim period, it operated independently under the name Capital Plaza.

April 2014 – present (The Radisson era):
After a TT$30 million renovation, the hotel officially reopened on April 8, 2014, as the Radisson Hotel Trinidad. The renovation included upgrades to guest rooms, the lobby, and the famous revolving restaurant (now often referred to as the 360 Restaurant).

Current status

Today, the Radisson Hotel Trinidad continues to operate as a key business hotel in downtown Port-of-Spain. It features 243 rooms and suites and remains a property of the Issa Nicholas Group, which also owns the nearby Radisson Blu (formerly the unfinished structure next to the main hotel, which has been under development).

Get United’s best fares today on flights to Trinidad and Tobago

Traveling Trinidad and Tobago? Don’t miss United Airlines best fares Trinidad and Tobago. Book your flight Trinidad and Tobago today and fly for less.

A building that holds the memory of a city

The Radisson Hotel Trinidad is more than a commercial property. It is a symbol of Port-of-Spain’s evolution from post-colonial aspiration to modern Caribbean capital. Its halls have welcomed world leaders, Carnival revellers, business executives and families marking life’s milestones.

Its rooftop restaurant has offered thousands of diners an unbeatable panorama of a city in constant motion. Through every rebranding and renovation, the building has remained a marker of resilience, local investment and national pride.

As Trinidad and Tobago prepares for the next phase of its economic and cultural growth, the Radisson Hotel Trinidad stands ready for its next chapter, carrying half a century of history into the decades ahead.

__________________