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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Cordiality helped hoteliers

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SALALAH, MAY 27 - In the time of crisis it was the cordiality that helped the hoteliers. Most of the beach hotels were affected by the tropical cyclone Mekunu and normal operations were hit due to some reason or the other. Some others had to shut down as precautionary measures.


To ensure safety of their guests the beach hotel operators relocated their guests and staff members to the hotels in the city, which were safe and away from the sea.


It really helped them as most of the beach accommodations located in Dahariz got waterlogged and they took an early call to shift their guests to safer places. Most of the hotels have resumed their operations, a few, which were badly hit, have decided to reopen only after proper cleaning and resumption of all the facilities.


The general managers of both Hilton Salalah Resort and Mirbat-based Marriott Resort chose to stop operations and post cyclone they are looking for ways to begin operations as soon as possible.


Mehdi Othmani, General Manager of Hilton Salalah Resort, admitted to have shut down operations in the wake of the cyclone. The hotel, however, had shifted the guests to central Salalah-based Intercity Hotel.


‘‘We are now doing the assessment of damage and the actual operation will start only after some technical assessment by our insurance partners,” he said.


He assured that his guests were being taken care of in Intercity, where he himself has moved to ensure that everything was fine with his guests.


Marriott General Manager Wael Makahleh admitted that there has been a total blackout in the hotel as there was no electricity supply and landline, Internet services etc have totally been snapped. “We will assess the damage and then think of opening as soon as possible,” he said.


Hossam Kamal, General Manager of Salalah Rotana Resort, said not much damage has been done to the hotel. The hotel guests have been relocated to neighbouring Al Fannar Hotel.


“All our buildings are safe. Some damage has been done to the landscape, beach umbrellas and parking area. Some leakages have also been noticed in some of the hotel’s public areas,” he said.


He was happy that power has been resumed to the hotel and all the guests and employees were safe and their relocation was done effectively without any injury.


Ibrahim Arat, Assistant Manager of Al Fannar also admitted that regular services were restored to the hotel guests after a few hours of disruption in power supply and disconnection of Internet services for a few hours.


Kaushalendra Singh


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