Big hotels enter high season with major makeover

Kathmandu’s five-star hotels have completed major refurbishment projects in time for the peak tourist season which got underway recently. Guests can look forward to new look rooms and added amenities. Some of the hotels have renovated their rooms while others have expanded accommodation.

Meanwhile, the Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu recently reopened its refurbished Chinese specialty restaurant China Garden.

The hotel said the restaurant can accommodate up to 92 guests and offer a splendid selection of more than 300 original recipes. The restaurant is a blend of stylish and contemporary designs, exquisite furnishing and Chinese artefacts. Similarly, the hotel has completely renovated the Garden Terrace, it said.

The Radisson Hotel has announced it will officially launch 105 premium rooms housed in its new extension by September-end. They will have contemporary luxury designs and modern facilities, making them convenient for discerning business travellers, according to the hotel.

The Radisson has been renovating its main building gradually. “We are replacing the carpeted floor with parquet flooring while the old television sets have been replaced with 42-in LCDs in all the rooms,” said Karuna Manandhar, PR executive of the hotel. According to Manandhar, the hotel aims to attract more business and leisure travellers with this effort. Currently, the Radisson is conducting food promotion and plans to introduce packages at special rates focusing on the busy season ahead.

The Shangri-La is launching a new banquet facility that can accommodate 225 guests by the beginning of October. The hotel’s senior general manager Raju Bikram Shah said that equipment for the banquet hall have been imported from Germany. “The facility will be the first of its kind in the country.” Similarly, renovation of the rooms, kitchen and toilets has been completed. The hotel has also constructed new boundary walls.

The Everest Hotel said it had refurbished its 160 rooms for this season. It has added new TVs, mini bars and electronic gadgets. “Targeting Indian clients, we have developed new packages for next year,” said Amir Pradhananga, director of sales and marketing. The property has also added new cuisines to its menu.

Meanwhile, hotel reservations from American, Australian and British markets have been on the rise. Hotels said that room occupancy as of Sept 20 has been around 70 percent, while bookings have crossed 95 percent for October and November.

They added that the current season has been better than the last season. Arrivals reached a record high of 736,215 last year, with arrivals during the September-November season accounting for 33 percent of the total inbound.

The highest room night occupancy of 89.81 percent in Kathmandu hotels was recorded in November 2011. Meanwhile, sales in October amounted to 82.31 percent and in September 61.09 percent in 2011.

source: The Kathmandu Post,22 Sept 2012