The Sunday News
Dickson Mangena, Business Reporter
CRESTA Hotels Zimbabwe has set in motion a project to refurbish rooms at its Harare Oasis Hotel to ensure they meet standards associated with a three star hotel.
In an interview, Cresta Hotels Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Glenn Stutchbury said the company has put out a tender inviting companies who will carry out the refurbishment exercise.
“We have just put out a tender for the upgrading of the Cresta Oasis Hotel but it is still early to tell the details of the upgrade,” said Mr Stutchbury.
According to the tender invitation, companies must have the capacity to refurbish the facility to meet the three star international requirements.
“Interested parties should visit and view the bedrooms including mini kitchens and bathrooms to provide Cresta Hotels with a comprehensive decoration plan in line with current contemporary modern three star hotel design while incorporating the African Roots Gateway and colours,” read part of the tender invitation.
Mr Stutchbury said the company was at this stage still finding out the cost of the project and yet to decide if it is viable.
“We will be looking at the cost of the project and to find out if it is viable at all in this economy,” Mr Strutchbury.
Cresta Churchill in Bulawayo, which is part of the hospitality group, recently went major refurbishment as part of its transformation to a boutique style hotel.
However, Zimbabwe hotels have in the past been criticised for offering low standards that doesn’t match their stars.
At one time, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority called for some of the hotel stars to be reviewed.
Some hotels claiming to be five star are reportedly offering services that are equivalent to a one star hotel in other countries.
The hospitality and hotel business has been earmarked for growth with the focus on the marketing of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (Mice) tourism.
The ZTA is on record saying Mice tourism rakes in three times more receipts than leisure tourism with knock-on effects on local hotels in terms of revenue generation and employment creation while increasing destination awareness.
The ZTA in 2013 established the National Convention Bureau to attract and promote Mice tourism.
