Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View continues to strive to provide the best services at lowest rates, said its General Manager Robin Edwards.
"We are unique in Chattogram in respect to our services and the packages we offer, especially banquet events without venue rental charges for programmes with a minimum amount of attendees. Radisson is a brand," he said.
Presently, the international brand hotel is working to further improve its customer services in major areas of business, especially banquet facilities.
"We will revise banquet prices again for better packages in 2019," said Mr Edwards in an exclusive interview with The Financial Express recently.
Radisson Blu Chittagong, the only five-star international brand hotel in the port city, started its journey in 2014 on the city's main thoroughfare, CDA Avenue, meeting the demand for a world class hotel for global and local tourists.
It has a centralised security system and well-trained hospitality professionals. "Our most important asset is our people. I never call them my staff. I call them my associates. I try to lead from the front by example," said Mr Edwards.
Alongside the hospitality services, the hotel is contributing a lot to welfare activities for the community and the country through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.
"In 2017, Radisson provided 85 water filters to poor communities in Bangladesh. In the Christmas and Ramadan, we bring the Muslim children to Iftar.
"We just started to support a local school. We donated fans, chairs, tables and light to the school, as well as painted and decorated the entire building."
Mr. Edwards said the Radisson Blu Chittagong, the second hotel project after Dhaka Radisson, has 241 spacious rooms, all equipped with the state-of-the-art technology and furnished in a modern and contemporary style.
"Comparing the room rates of our hotel, it is highly advantageous, privileged and competitive. We provide the best services at the lowest rates, if compared with other hotels in Chittagong and five-star hotels in Dhaka," he said.
"Our rooms are double in size and our hotel is five times in size than any other hotel."
"We have attractive room rate with packages of banquet events without any venue rental charge which is unique in Chattogram," he added.
"We need to reassure the local community that this hotel is not overpriced. We are very fairly priced."
Mr Edwards joined the Radisson Blu Chittagong as GM in August 2016. He started his career in the leisure sector and worked his way through various departments in hotels to become a General Manager.
He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Worldwide Hospitality Association, many industrial awards and several-time winner of the Top 10 Foreign General Manager Award in China.
Mr Edward said his approach to business is flexibility and creativity. The hotel is an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers, in addition to being an attractive venue of choice for banquets, weddings, conventions, seminars and smaller meetings.
"Meeting facilities are designed for small, medium and large-sized events and conferences. Two well-equipped multifunctional ballrooms on the first and fourth floors can host up to 1400 persons, including a Business Centre with nine board rooms. We look closely at the environment and travel trends. We are flexible with our travel packages, weekend getaways and promotional services," he said.
Mr Edwards said Radisson Hotels and Resorts as a management company opened the hotel in 2014. As a company, Radisson looks at opportunities to develop in areas that also benefit the community and environment and allow it to flourish.
He also said the port city has many major industrial conglomerates. It has a huge scope for infrastructure development.
About the travel and tourism sector, he said, "It is a huge industry in a small world. But tourism is mainly centred in Dhaka as it has yet to develop in Chittagong."
As regards to his career in the industry, he said he has found this very rewarding and interesting throughout. He managed to accomplish many of the goals when he started out at each stage in his career.
"I'm happy where I'm," he said.
