MosJan Posted July 19, 2005 Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 http://www.armenialiberty.org/images/photo/park-hotel2.jpg Senior Official Linked To Plush Yerevan Hotel Resigns By Ruzanna Khachatrian and Emil Danielyan A senior Armenian government official resigned on Tuesday following press reports identifying him as the owner of a newly built luxury hotel in Yerevan. Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Hayk Chshmaritian provided a confusing and bizarre explanation for the move, saying that it will guarantee continued foreign investment in Armenia. “I tendered my resignation so that investments in the Republic of Armenia continue,” he told RFE/RL. Chshmaritian refused to specify just how his presence in the government could hamper those investments. He said only that he will issue a written statement explaining that. Asked whether he was forced to quit over the hotel-related reports, he said, “No, my resignation is connected with foreign investments.” Chshmaritian, whose brother Karen is Armenia’s minister of trade and economic development, was a little-known individual until last May’s inauguration of the new five-star hotel called Golden Palace. Its opening ceremony was personally attended by President Robert Kocharian. The extremely expensive property formally belongs to a company registered in Cyprus. The Yerevan weekly “168 Zham” quoted Chshmaritian last month as saying that he is its principal shareholder. Asked by the paper how he managed to raise millions of dollars spent on the hotel’s construction with his modest salary, the official replied, “It’s my problem.” However, Chshmaritian on Tuesday firmly denied any connection with the hotel. “I didn’t say such a thing,” he claimed. “I don’t even know that paper and never gave it interviews.” Golden Palace was built in one of Yerevan’s largest public parks that has shrunk considerably as a result. The fact that it was allowed to be built in such a location is extraordinary in itself and suggests that powerful individuals are behind the business. The construction took about five years and is known to have been overseen by Armen Avetisian, the controversial chief of the Armenian customs close to Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian. The latter was seen visiting and inspecting the hotel last month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted July 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 Yerevan’s largest public parks ??? do any of you know the location of the Hotel ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted July 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 GOLDEN PALACE HOTEL The newly opened Golden Palace Hotel comes to meet five-star hotel standards On May 31, 2005 adjacent to the Haghtanak (Victory) Park the Golden Palace Hotel marked its official opening hosting guests, Yerevan inhabitants and tourists alike. Located in one of the picturesque areas of Yerevan the Golden Palace Hotel offers a best view to the mountain Ararat. It is an architecturally sound erection that is unique in its kind with a fusion of modern & classic elements. The Hotel is comprised of 6 floors offering 66guests rooms including 43 Deluxe, 17 Diplomatic, 5 Ambassador and 1 Presidential Suites. In the Presidential Suite you can learn the true meaning of VIP. The Golden Palace Hotel houses: "Italian restaurant "Al Dente" "Lobby Bar "Arctic" "Cigar Bar "Havana Club" "Coffee-Shop Hotel Services & Facilities Multilingual staff Underground parking Panoramic lifts Internet connection in all the rooms 24 hours Room Service Airport pick up and drop off Business Center Shops and show cases Recreation & Leisure facilities include: Indoor Swimming Pool "Bamboo Lagoon", Jacuzzi, Fitness center, Sauna, Massage, Beauty Salon, Baby court, Labyrinth, Artificial River, Terraces The hotel also houses a Banquet Hall, a Conference Hall, 2 Meeting Rooms and a Business center Address: Yerevan, Azatutyan Ave. Phone (37410) 219999 Fax (37410) 219921 http://www.goldenpalacehotel.am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom22 Posted July 19, 2005 Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 (edited) More coffeehouses, more luxury hotels, which in of themselves are good, but not when they are built in public parks. As it is, many of the trees in Yerevan have been felled to be used as firewood to heat homes in winter. When it is decided to replace the lost parkland, will residential areas be razed to create parks? Meanwhile, many Armenians in the ROA live in utter poverty. This is rampant capitalism at its worst. Armenian and the USA are experiencing the same phenomenon. Government officials are "feathering their own nests." How many more secret government deals have to surface in the ROA before the people rise up......and when are the Americans going to face up to the fact that the Iraq war was fought mainly to recoup the oil interests that Bush's buddies lost when Saddam nationalized the Iraqi oil fields on July 1, 1972? Edited July 19, 2005 by phantom22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armen Posted July 19, 2005 Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 Never thought there is a convenient shortcut between Yerevan's coffeehouses and the Iraqi oilfields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom22 Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 When I first told Armenians that Princess Diana had a small amount of Armenian blood they "rolled their eyes" and told me that I was a "khent." Why are so many coffeehouses being built on public land in Yerevan? Why did the US enter a war to combat Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction that clearly did not exist? What we have here is two instances of powerful government officials using their positions to increase their personal wealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 God bless these powerful people. Thanks to them now we have a nice hotel to stay at in Yerevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaunt Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 ...Chshmaritian... Lol!!!! Just when you think you've seen the oddest of odd Armenian last names, a gem like this one emerges, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExtraHye Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 (edited) God bless these powerful people. Thanks to them now we have a nice hotel to stay at in Yerevan style_images/master/snapback.png Do I sense a hint of sarcasm in this post? Edited July 20, 2005 by ExtraHye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud EXPAT Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 It's actually a very beautiful hotel. Very different style than Golden Tulip's Hotel Yerevan and Marriot. Too bad rates aren't cheaper for the average diaspora to stay there for 2-3 weeks. I'm sure once the Cascade museum is built in 2 years the hotel will be much busier. It's a little dead right now. Believe it or not the park is starting to look much cleaner, at least around the hotel, after it was built. Not saying it was a good thing to build it there, but. In regards to where it's located: You go up the Cascade and there is Victory Park on the right. It's there. It was a deserted area in the park, not right in the middle. Serge Sarkisian has about 5 Jazzve cafes now. All prime locations. This is the government we have to deal with. Just one example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piggy Posted July 29, 2005 Report Share Posted July 29, 2005 When a park is being poorly maintained it is to drop land values so the government can sell it and build hotels. Its good in a way, but I really rather have a few parks in the city. They should have hostils instead of hotels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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