The Hospitality and Tourism Institute is located in Chaguaramas, in the north-western peninsula of Trinidad .

The view from the Institute is that of the Gulf of Paria , a large body of water and peaceful host to all manner of sea traffic. The Institute’s early history did not mirror this peaceful view, having begun as a hospital for the Americans during their occupation of Chaguaramas, which was a military base during World War II.

Wartime Involvement

The Americans acquired the Institute in 1941 when the British Government, our colonial masters at the time, traded the strategically located base in Chaguaramas for American war ships. The entire base became host to a garrison of 20,000 troops, making it the largest military base outside of American soil and the largest base of the 225 scattered around the island. Approximately 130,000 men were stationed at the base during and after the war years up to 1967. Commander Gaylord Kelshall, curator of the MilitaryMuseum in Chaguaramas further emphasized the strategic importance of the base, stating that, "the lifeblood of the war, flowed from the Gulf of Paria ."

A Military Hospital

In an early manifestation as a military hospital, the Institute boasted 200 beds. It was decommissioned in 1967 when - upon their departure - the Americans handed the entire base, hospital and all, to the independent government of .

The Beginnings of a School

For four years, the former base slumbered until 1971 when Government modified the facility in preparation for its new identity as a hotel school. The school was formally established by an Act of Parliament on May 31st, 1972 and operated under a joint venture arrangement with the Canadian Government through association with Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. By 1975, this association had come to an end and the Government assumed total responsibility, under the umbrella of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) for the Trinidad and Tobago Hotel School .

A Restructured Institute

With the subsequent disbanding of the IDC, the school was placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, and a Board of Directors was appointed to govern its daily operations. This structural change inspired a name change and the school became known as the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality Training Institute. In 1996, the name underwent another change, becoming the Hospitality and Tourism Institute a name that more fully reflected the scope of the Institute’s products and services and its place within the hospitality and tourism industry.

TTHTI is a newly-expanded, sturdy w-shaped building, built on a rise that allows for a stunning ocean view. It houses the Institute's administration; lecture rooms; a model bedroom; front office and travel agency laboratory; training kitchen; production kitchen; and a fully licensed restaurant and bar (used primarily for training purposes). Student facilities include a specialist library, computer lab and two dormitories for on-campus living. We have an auditorium and expansive ground floor facilities that make the Institute ideal for hosting many functions, meetings and conferences. The most recent addition to our infrastructure has been a fully equipped gym, outfitted with some of the most advanced exercise equipment available on the market today.

If you would like more information, please contact us via email at:
ttinfo@hospitalitytnt.com