Hospitality Horror: Empty Rooms in Dhaka Hotels

Crisis in Dhaka: Hospitality Sector Suffers

The hospitality industry in Bangladesh has been severely impacted by the recent anti-government rallies that have shook the country for more than a month, leaving the bulk of rooms vacant at a number of upscale and budget hotels in the capital Dhaka. Bangladesh's political and financial hub, Dhaka is also home to a number of iconic hotels run by global hotel companies that mostly serve business travellers.

When PTI spoke with front desk agents, managers, and restaurant workers at some of the upscale chains as well as budget hotels situated in upscale neighborhoods, they all presented a dismal image of the state of the hospitality industry in Dhaka at the moment.

"Though things have somewhat improved, our sector is still far from normal because most of the rooms are still unoccupied. The number of guests using rooms has drastically decreased following the upheaval in the nation, although some business travelers are still visiting, a senior manager in the sales department of a luxury hotel told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

Since the protests started in July, locals and hotel employees have continued to discuss the police activity that happened during the third week of July and in the following days to put an end to the demonstrations in a reserved manner. But the police crackdown only enraged the populace, which ultimately caused the Hasina-led administration to fall.

Due to the escalating situation, the hotel administration asked its female employees to stay at home from August 4–5. Meanwhile, plans were made for the male employees to stay on the hotel property, which is a significant landmark in the area with Gulshan Avenue and Kemal Ataturk Avenue serving as important thoroughfares.

He recalled the difficulties encountered on August 5, the day the Hasina administration collapsed, mentioning that among the hotel's patrons on that occasion were Germans, Russians, Swiss, Indians, and Bangladeshis in addition to a few members of the diplomatic corps.

Similar stories were told by front desk and managerial personnel at other hotels PTI had visited in the previous two or three days. An Indian national who holds a senior managerial position at one of these opulent hotels and asked not to be identified told PTI on Tuesday night that, since arriving in Dhaka a few months ago, he has "not faced any difficulty so far" and has thus decided to stay.

The 250-room hotel has 180 rooms in the deluxe category, which is the lowest level. There are four categories of suites: executive, junior, chairman, and presidential. The crew also stated that the majority of cancellations in the deluxe category resulted in significant loss.These days, even the restaurants at five-star hotels are only drawing a small number of patrons, which further strains their management's finances.

Even though an interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser has been in existence since August 8, Dhaka's economy and three-star hotels are also facing the effects of the political situation's economic impact.Just "six rooms occupied" at the nearly 25-year-old Hotel Lake Castle in the peaceful Gulshan neighborhood as of August 19.

Bangladesh's economy heavily relies on the hospitality industry, and Dhaka, the country's hub, is suffering as a result of the current circumstances. Only three or four tables were occupied at a Dhaka location of a Malaysian restaurant chain on Tuesday night.