After 15 years of construction, the Royal Tonga International Hotel, better known as "Dr Wong's hotel" was finally opened for business this morning, October 9 by HM King George Tupou V.

The Wong hotel project has been one of the most controversial tourism development projects that Tonga has ever been involved in during the past decade. But unlike other projects, despite the unfavourable publicity that it attracted over the years, it has finally opened its doors for business.

Dr Wong, who was addressed as Dr Wang, this morning announced at the opening ceremony that phase one of the project had been completed, but phase two, "an Olympic Swimming pool, and a Shopping Mall" will be built later.

The Phase One that has been completed and was officially opened today consists of a Royal Suite, 50 fully furnished rooms, a bar, a restaurant and a courtyard with a garden.

The opening of the Royal Tonga International Hotel is timely for the Pacific Leaders Forum Meeting, which will start in Nuku'alofa on October 15, and Dr Masasso Paunga, the Head of the Operation said that most of the rooms had already been booked by delegations for the Forum.

'Etuini Mo'ungaloa, the project manager, and a former Private Secretary of the late King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, spoke of how the late king became very involved in the hotel project, and how the king was fully convinced that such a hotel would make a major contribution to the development of tourism in Tonga.

Since the ground breaking ceremony on April 7 1992, the $5 million Royal International Airport Inn project had been through a number of changes, and today 'Etuini said that to date they had spent $30 millions. The name has also been changed to Royal Tonga International Hotel.

'Etuini said that when the hotel is completed, the total investment would be about $60 million.