The worldwide
tourism industry
is growing fast,
and nowhere is the
growth more prominent
than in Asia.
Bangladesh tourism
market has also
expanded over the
last few years and
with it has increased
the number of internationally
renowned hotels
while a few more
are under construction
or in planning stages.
The overall demand
for hotel accommodation
has gone up due
to the increased
numbers of overseas
visitors and growth
in domestic tourism.
In keeping with
this high growth,
there has also been
an increase in the
demand for experienced
professionals to
manage and promote
hospitality establishments.
To meet this growing
demand, a new company,
Hospitality Management
Consultants (HMC),
was launched in
collaboration with
one of the leading
architectural and
International design
groups, KUPPSS Collaboration,
which specializes
in hotels based
in Thailand. The
corporate office
of HMC is based
in Bangkok and the
Bangladesh office
is located in Dhaka.
Shahid Hamid is
the Managing Director
and CEO of the new
company. He informs
ET that HMC will
provide "One
Stop Service"
for current hotel
owners as well as
prospective investors
in this sector.
Among the portfolio
of services to be
provided by HMC
are Hospitality
Consultancy Services,
Management and Operation
Services, Marketing
and Reservation
Services, Financial
Reporting, Human
Resources &
Training, Franchise
Relationship, Renovation,
Asset Management
and Technical Support
Services.
Shahid, who is a
former Executive
Director of Hotel
Sarina, former AGM
of Pan Pacific Sonargaon
Hotel and a professional
hotelier with over
29 years of experience,
says the goal of
HMC is to offer
its clients international
standard solutions
customized for the
needs of travelers
to Bangladesh.
To contact HMC,
email: ceo@hospitalityconsultantsltd.com.
The Dhaka skyline
has been seeing
the rise of new
5-star Hotels for
quite some time
now. Already Radisson
and Sarina have
made their mark,
and Westin is expected
to launch its operations
by summer this year.
In the mean time,
on Pahela Baishakh,
the 1st day of the
Bengali calendar
year, Hotel Regency
opened its door
for business with
a soft launch.
Is the market for
5-star services
becoming saturated?
Kabir Reza, Executive
Director of Hotel
Regency, says no.
"Already, Bangladesh
is attracting a
large number of
tourists and business
travelers. And the
potential to attract
more is there. Compared
to our neighboring
country, which is
getting millions
of tourists every
year, we are lagging
behind. We have
many beautiful places.
So why wouldn't
the tourist come?
It's only because
we don't advertise
ourselves properly
and the accommodation
facilities are not
that good. People
go on holidays because
they want to enjoy."
The existing 5-star
hotels, Radisson,
Sarina, Sonargaon
and Sheraton, are
not enough as superior
hotel services are
in demand even domestically,
observes Kabir.
He fears, by 2020,
there will be a
severe shortage
of 5-star hotels
if no further investment
in this industry
takes place. "Bangladesh
needs another ten
5-star hotels in
Dhaka at least by
then. If you go
to India you will
see every world-renowned
brand is there.
Even in Nepal and
Bhutan you will
find a lot of 5-star
hotels. We [Hotel
Regency] are not
concerned about
whether other hotels
enter the market;
we want the total
sector to grow."
Hotel Regency was
founded by three
entrepreneurs, Arif
Motahar, Musleh
Ahmed and Kabir
Reza, Bangladeshi
in origin, but born
and brought up in
the UK. All three
have their own businesses
in England. "We
wanted to invest
our money in Bangladesh
so we came to Bangladesh
three years back
to look at various
opportunities. Our
research showed
that the hospitality
sector in Bangladesh
was very poor and
lacked investment,
but had great potential.
So, we decided to
establish Hotel
Regency."
Adjacent to the
Airport road in
the commercial area
of Nikunja, Dhaka,
Regency is in the
proximity of the
airport, the city's
diplomatic zones
and the bustling
Gulshan business
hub. Each floor
of the fifteen-storey
tower spans 20,000
square feet, in
addition to the
25,000 square feet
basement parking
facility. The hotel
has 310 luxury rooms
and suites, including
1 Regency suite
and 2 Presidency
suites. The regency
floor (level 13)
offers extensive
facilities and extra
privileges, including
personal butler
service and a private
VIP lounge. Moreover,
the five-star hotel
has a business center
open 24-hours to
meet the needs of
business travelers,
a swimming pool
and a BBQ garden
on the rooftop that
offers panoramic
views of the city.
Exclusively Bangladeshi
Brand
The hotel, however,
is not affiliated
with any chain.
Kabir says his team
talked to a few
worldwide hotel
companies-such as
Marriot and Novotel-but
the business criteria
set by those chains
did not meet the
team's expectations.
Among the issues
were profit sharing
and hiring foreign
staff. "Every
company like Hilton
takes away 30% of
the profit straightaway.
They also want you
to hire foreign
staff that enjoys
a higher salary
structure. So, Bangladesh
government loses
two kinds of revenue:
one from profit
that is being repatriated
and the other is
the high salary
that would be paid
to the overseas
staff."
So the three entrepreneurs
have decided to
go solo. "And
we will take the
local people who
will help us all
the way. I hope
that in 10 years
time we will open
branches all over
the country and
in some parts of
the world,"
says a determined
Kabir. "We
are trying to create
our own deshi brand
by not following
any other brand.
Bangladesh does
not have any hotel
franchise branch."
Kabir informs ET
his team is already
working on setting
up hotel chains
in Bangladesh. "We
are now looking
for rather quiet
neighborhoods that
are not so much
close to the heart
of the city. And
the focus has been
on setting up some
3-star hotels that
would have around
45 to 65 bedrooms.
These would target
mainly local consumers.
Chittagong, Cox's
Bazaar and Sylhet
are some places
in mind."
Meanwhile, Regency
has recruited some
experienced hotel
professionals from
among the Bangladeshis
who were working
in the Middle East
and in other regions.
"The amount
of money they were
getting there was
not enough when
