Accra, March 7, GNA - Some Operators in the hospitality industry on Wednesday expressed mix reactions about the impact of the 50th anniversary celebrations on the industry.
While operators in five and four star hotels said the anniversary had given the industry a boom, those operating budget hotels and restaurants said it has been normal since they have not got more visitors than necessary apart from the every day clients they were having.
Mrs Nancy Aryee, Assistant House Keeper at the Labadi Beach Hotel, in La, a suburb of Accra said the rooms have been fully booked. She said, while some visitors where checking out, others where checking in and it has always been full at any point in time. Mrs Aryee said there has been occasions where they had to turn away some visitors because the rooms where booked and there was no one checking out at the time.
At the Paloma Hotel, located on the ring road, the story was not different, Lydia Quarshie, a receptionist, said there has been a high patronage during the anniversary week.
She said there was a group of people lodging in and immediately they checked out another group of visitors where brought in. Ms Quarshie said some of he bookings were done as far back as January, 2007 and repeated that some visitors had to be turned away since the rooms were fully booked at any given time. Eastoment Guest Lodge, confirmed high patronage saying their rooms where fully booked.
Prince Henry Sackey, a receptionist at the place said, their rooms have been fully occupied by foreigners and a lot of Ghanaians where also patronizing their facilities like the swimming pool and the bar. Officials at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel declined speaking to the However, Mr Edward Appiah, a receptionist at Fair Gardens Hotel opposite the Ghana Trade Fair Company expressed surprise at the number of spaces left for booking in the hotel despite the on going fair. He said so far we have our everyday clients apart from three Togolese lodging with us because of the fair.
Madam Cynthia Duah, owner of Ofie Restaurant, located off the Accra Kasoa road also said the patronage was normal and expressed hope that more people will patronize their services before the end of the activities.