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Luxury hotels eye better Christmas sales

Suman Saha
Luxury hotels in Dhaka are eyeing better Christmas sales this year, buoyed by a stable political environment.
They are expecting up to 50 percent higher sales from food and beverages this Christmas compared to the previous year.
Most high-end hotels in the city are set to organise a number of events, such as Christmas parties, magic shows, kid parties and live concerts, targeting the eve and Christmas Day.
"We are now ready to celebrate Christmas," said Salman Kabir, public relations manager at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.
The hotel has already decorated its premises with Christmas trees, goodies and fairy lights in the lobby and Caft
Bazar restaurant, he said, adding that they expect 50 percent higher sales on Christmas Day compared to the previous year.
The number of guests may increase significantly at Sonargaon Hotel, as Ruposhi Bangla Hotel nearby is currently closed for renovations, he said.
The hotel will organise a mega Kid's Pool Party on 22,000 square feet of open space right next to its pool on Christmas Day. There will be fun rides, magic and puppet shows and a DJ party. Anyone can attend at an entry fee ofTk 1,000 per person, he added.
The Westin Dhaka has also completed its preparations to celebrate Christmas, said Sabrina Mridha, the hotel's assistant manager for marketing and communications.
"We will provide a joyful mix of relaxation and festive indulgence on
Christmas Day," she said. The hotel is expecting a 15-20 percent year-on-year jump in food and beverage revenues.
The Westin Dhaka's outdoor holiday display will feature a huge number of LED lights atop the building and trees decorated in lights around the grounds, Sabrina said.
The hotel will serve a special lunch menu at Tk 3,800 per person and dinner at Tk 4,800, she added.
Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, another upscale hotel in the city, has arranged a special food festival, said Md Sharfuddin Newaz, the hotel's assistant sales manager.
The hotel will offer a special buffet lunch and dinner at Tk 4,500 per person, he said. "We are expecting a 20 percent hike in revenue on the day from last year." Dhaka Regency, another luxury hotel, will also host a kid's party and offer a special menu on Christmas Day.
"We are set to bring out the biggest kid's party at Grill on the Skyline at our hotel, ” said Arifa Afroz, the hotel's public relations manager.
The hotel hopes to host a wonderful children's party with fun games, photo shoot with Santa Claus and mini train rides, she added.
Dhaka Regency is also expecting a 50 percent rise in revenue during Christmas due to a political calm, Afroz said.
The hotel will organise a music show by Ferdous Wahid along with cultural performances by a group of kids from Shishu Polli, she added.
Christmas carols will greet guests in the lobby on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is scheduled to make a special appearance with gifts for children, she said.
Amari Dhaka, a Thai chain's branch in the capital which is still at its soft launch stage, also has high hopes for its first Christmas celebrations, according to Syed Yameenul Haq, its director for sales and marketing.
The debutant has designed a dinner menu at a promotion price ofTk 1,999 per person.
Last year, luxury hotels in Dhaka registered poor sales during Christmas due to a volatile political environment in the run up to the national election.
Luxury and boutique hotels trade a combined Tk 10 lakh a day on average in Dhaka, with transaction figures hitting the Tk 1-crore mark on Christmas days, according to industry insiders.
suman.saha@thedailystar.net