Hotels yet to make gains after partial easing of COVID-19 restrictions

Checks at hotels in Accra show that certain facilities are reviewing their models to accommodate new business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday 31 May 2020 President Akufo-Addo announced the gradual easing of the ban on public gatherings which had been in place since March.

Under the directives, hotels could accommodate conferences, parties, wedding receptions and other corporate meetings with a maximum of 100 people.

This is however subject to strict adherence to all the safety protocols such as maintaining a two-metre distance, washing hands with soap under running water, use of alcohol-based hand sanitiser and mandatory wearing of face masks.

But a week in to the announcement, not much activity is taking place at most hotels in the national capital.

The sales and marketing manager for Airport View Hotel in Accra, Richard Yao Ekor, explained what has happened over the past week.

“Most of our customers come from outside Ghana, so even though certain restrictions have been eased, the borders are still closed. So long as we don’t have people coming from the diaspora into the country, our rooms and conference rooms will still be empty.

“In fact, I was following up on a conference which was cancelled in the middle of that conference, and I was told that they would do it in their office,” he said.

The rooms division manager for Oak Plaza Hotel, Daniel Dadson, also spoke about how business is going.

“The airports are still not open so you are likely not to get any. And then the conferences that come on come from the government agencies and the NGOs … But then I believe that after the announcement they need to take time to really plan and access a hotel to see how well and ready they are prepared to receive them,” he said.

Brute facts of revenue and expenditure

With these hotels, most of the workers were asked to go home during the period of the partial lockdown and the imposition of the ban on all public gatherings, as well as the closure of borders, which has affected patronage.

Richard Ekor and Daniel Dadson spoke about the adjustments they have made.

“The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service have been here to train our staff on how to engage in infection and prevention control. So, I will say we have some little experience in terms of handling these things,” Ekor said.

“Our housekeeping procedures have improved; our check-in procedures have also improved. You would realise that when you were coming in you had to wash your hands and you wouldn’t be allowed to come in without a nose mask. Our lift was originally meant for eight people but now only three can go inside.”

“We operate on revenue and expenditure. What we get is what we spend across the board in terms of salary,” Dadson of Oak Plaza said. “For now, we can’t even pay. It’s not only us but other facilities, I would say. We are unable to pay and they understand the situation.

“They know if we were in business, we would certainly reach out to everybody accordingly. So, that has been the impact with over 130 people out there probably doing something to keep them going.”

With some hotels whose managers would not speak on the record, workers who have been asked to go home are not being paid any salary whatsoever.

Lifeline in meetings?

Meanwhile, it appears there is little optimism among the managers of the Oak Plaza and Airport View hotels that there will be a full resumption of activities.

“End of June heading towards the middle of July, I think we should begin to see a little pick-up in terms of the conferences, because I also believe that these corporate organisations have put on hold their conferences which are part of their operational duties,” said Ekor of the Airport View Hotel.

“… In order for something to happen [they have to have a meeting]. So those [meetings] that cannot be held in their offices will be brought here [and] it will pick up slowly.

“We see a bit of improvement in the month of July from the observation [that] most airlines are likely to open between the end of June right through July.”