As final preparations accelerate for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Caribbean twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is launching a urgent call to all property owners across the country to register their accommodation offerings for one of the most high-profile international events the country has ever hosted.
Patrice Simon, who serves as both Executive Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA) and Co-Lead of CHOGM’s Accommodations Sub-Committee, emphasized that securing sufficient lodging is a make-or-break component of the event’s strategic planning. With thousands of delegates, heads of state, and other participants expected to travel from Commonwealth member nations across the globe, organizers are working to map out enough room capacity to meet demand.
Speaking during the *Road to CHOGM* program on the country’s state-owned media outlet, Simon outlined the committee’s core priority from the early stages of planning: locking in room inventory across all types of accommodation. Beyond the association’s network of traditional hotel partners, the taskforce is actively reaching out to unregistered short-term rental properties commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb, as well as private villas, independent guesthouses, and residential apartments.
To project total room needs, organizers are using the 2024 CHOGM held in Samoa as a benchmark, which drew roughly 5,000 delegates. The 2026 Antigua and Barbuda meeting will welcome heads of state, including presidents and prime ministers, foreign ministers, senior diplomats, and official delegation members. In addition to the main leadership gathering, the event will host a suite of parallel forums: the Women’s Forum, Youth Forum, People’s Forum, and Business Forum, each expected to draw approximately 250 attendees.
Simon stressed that housing the massive delegations will require a whole-nation effort, not just contributions from the country’s established hotel and resort sector. “This is not just about hotels. We need villas, guesthouses, apartments and short-term rentals because accommodating CHOGM will require a national effort,” she explained. The overarching goal, she added, is to spread economic benefits of the landmark event across all communities in Antigua and Barbuda, rather than concentrating gains only in traditional tourism hotspots.
As of the latest update, only 70 property owners have completed their registration, with just under 50 of those being short-term rental units. Organizers estimate that dozens, if not hundreds, more eligible properties remain unregistered, and time is running out. July has been flagged as the critical booking window for heads of delegation and senior ministerial teams, making immediate registration a priority for interested property owners.
Currently, the National Taskforce Accommodations Committee is already managing booking arrangements for 37 of the 56 Commonwealth member states, while 15 additional countries have already sent teams to conduct advance inspections of potential lodging.
Beyond hosting a successful one-week event, Simon framed CHOGM as a long-term strategic opportunity for Antigua and Barbuda. “CHOGM is not only about hosting delegates for one week; it is an opportunity to position Antigua and Barbuda as a premier destination for major international conferences and events,” she noted.
To be eligible to host delegates, all properties must complete three steps: official registration, a formal inspection, and final approval from the Ministry of Tourism’s Quality Assurance Unit. Inspections evaluate a range of critical standards to ensure guest safety and comfort, including overall cleanliness, consistent housekeeping protocols, fire safety compliance, drinking water quality, sanitation infrastructure, on-site security, and overall expected guest experience. Only properties that pass the inspection and receive official approval will be listed on the secure CHOGM accommodation portal that all delegates use to book their stays.