Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View, the port city’s first upscale international hotel, has finally launched its commercial operation after one and a half month of the formal inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The luxury hotel kicked off its operation on April 14, the first day of the Bengali New Year 1422.
The hotel authorities, however, announced it at a press conference yesterday (Thursday).
Addressing the press conference, Brigadier General Humayun Bakht, managing director of Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View, said: “The much-waited demand for an international standard hotel in the port city has been met with the lunching of the commercial operation of this hotel.”
Owned by Sena Hotel Developments Ltd and managed by Carlson Rezidor, one of the largest hotel groups in the world, Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View is the first-ever five star hotel in the port city, he said.
“The profit from the hotel will be spent for the welfare of the serving as well as retired army personnel and their families, and also to meet its obligation to Corporate Social Responsibility,” said Humayun.
The 22-storied hotel, which was constructed on an area of around 4.18 acres of land, is the second Radisson hotel operating in Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the hotel on March 1, this year.
Replying to a query, Humayun said: “We had decided to construct the hotel at a cost of Tk700 crore in Chittagong as it is the country’s premier port city, commercial capital and also one of the preferred tourists’ destination in Bangladesh.”
“With 2,100sqm of ballroom and meeting space, the hotel is going to be an attractive venue for business meetings, social events, weddings, conventions and seminars,” said Geir Sikko, general manager of Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View. The hotel features with 241 spacious rooms, including 222 rooms, 13 junior suites and four executive suites.
To cater to the needs of the VVIPs, the hotel features a 284-sq-m Royal Suite and a 304-sq-m Presidential Suite with its own private pool deck on the 18th floor, offering a spectacular view of the port city.
All the rooms are equipped with the state-of-the-art technology and furnished in a modern and contemporary style.
“Designed for business and leisure travelers, the hotel also features seven restaurants and two well-equipped multifunctional ballrooms on the first and fourth floors to host up to 1,400 persons, including a Business Centre with nine board rooms for holding large-scale corporate events and meetings,” added Sikko.
Thomas Hagemann, vice-president of Carlson Rezidor, expressed his optimism that with the arrangement for safe and comfortable stay of business travellers and tourists, Radisson Blue Bay View would surely help boost business and flourish potential tourism alongside taking the hospitality industry to a new height in Chittagong.
In response to a query, Hagemann informed the newsmen that the number of hotels in operation and under construction by Carlson Rezidor now stands at 70 in 16 countries of Asia Pacific.