Plush hotels gear up to log hefty sales from the arrivals of foreign spectators, cricketers and journalists ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that kicks off tomorrow (Saturday) with a big match between rivals Bangladesh and India.
The new-look luxury hotels have already been packed with foreign guests for the opening ceremony inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday. Security has been beefed up at these hotels and special desks serve the foreign tourists.
The hotels will be booked up during the Bangladesh matches against India, South Africa and England, according to officials of Dhaka hotels.
To cash in on the demand, some hotels have hiked their charges by 10-20 percent. Incomes from foods and beverages will also go up, they said.
"We have renovated the hotel and tried to highlight Bangladesh's cultural traditions and foods to the foreigners,” said MA Awal, director (sales) of Sonargaon Hotel.
The hotel has built real-looking cricket pitches inside the lobby as well as outside the hotel to spice up the festivity, said Awal. To add to the excitement, the hotel is serving foods and snacks on cricket bats instead of plates and trays, he added.
Bangladesh is co-hosting the ICC World Cup tournament along with India and Sri Lanka for the first time in the country's history. Bangladesh will host eight matches including two quarter finals.
The 277-room Sonargaon Hotel is sold out for the opening match.
"We hope our revenue will rise by at least 20 per cent this month,” said Awal. Besides foreigners, many local customers are coming to see the foods and festivities, he said.
Other hotels such as Sheraton, Radisson, The Westin, Purbani, Best Western La Vinci, Regency and Sarina are almost booked by the ICC (International Cricket Council), journalists and foreign spectators, particularly from England, South Africa, India and West Indies for their respective matches.
The ICC has booked Sheraton, which has 272 guest rooms and five types of suites. The cricketers and ICC officials will crowd the hotel during the World Cup.
"There is no room left for others,” said Shahidus Sadeque, manger of public relations of the hotel.
Sadeque said: “All the 272 rooms were renovated and modified to facilitate smooth accommodation of the guests.”
The 200-room Radisson Water Garden Hotel near the airport has also accommodated some ICC officials and will remain packed during the tournament, said Razeen Avhi Mustafiz, the hotel's assistant manager of public relations.
"We are full,” said Arifa Afroz, assistant manager, public relations, of Regency Hotel. The hotel has 214 rooms including a president suite. The hotel has both ICC officials and spectators, said Afroz.
Purbani Hotel, close to the Bangabandhu National Stadium, has got guests for the opening ceremony, said Mahmud Hassan, sales manager of the hotel.
"Also, we have got reservations from the foreigners for the tournament,” said Hassan.
People involved with the tournament have booked most of the 51 rooms of La Vinci Hotel.
These hotels cannot segregate the ICC officials, cricketers, journalists and spectators. So they have no ideas about how many foreigners will be coming to Bangladesh.
However, the country's tourism industry, which expected a portion of the foreigners to visit the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, and the longest sea beach, Cox's Bazar, is a bit upset with the response.
"We are yet to get any significant response,” said Hassan Mansur, former president of Tour Operators' Association of Bangladesh.
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