The Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel in Accra, sources $1.6 million of foodstuff and products every year from the Ghanaian market.
The General Manager of the Hotel, Mr Manish Nambiar, who announced this at a media soiree, however, explained that some of the suppliers could be selling imports when Ghanaian produce were not in stock.
A substantial amount of the food also goes to provide three square meals for its 500 members of staff.
Mr Nambiar said the five-star hotel was committed to sustaining a luxury brand ‘with an European flair and a Ghanaian heart’.
Their efforts, he said, were paying off as the Hotel continued to receive covetous industry awards from the Sub-Region.
“We have very loyal customers who come back again and again,” he said. “We write to them and they also give us feedback. We have focused group discussions and they give us suggestions on how what we can do to make them happier.”
The prospects of the Hotel in the coming years, he said, were bright as foreign business and investor interest in Ghana were very encouraging.
“The Hotel business is the best one to determine when an economy is booming or having a downturn because it reflects in the record of both foreign and local guests and our exposure and experiences with them.”
“With what we are experiencing now we can tell that the future is good for us”.
The Hotel, with 269 rooms and 24 suites, has an average occupancy rate of 75 per cent.
On the tag of being very expensive, the General Manager said its presence had rather lowered the rates of rooms among the luxury hotels in Ghana.
“I must say, a lot of what you see on social media is pure sensationalism. We are a luxury brand but we offer value for money and ensure that our guests depart feeling that they have not been cheated”.
On the Hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr Nambiar said among other activities, it had partnered the World Health Organisation for some projects, as well as the International Women’s Association to raise funds to acquire cervical cancer detecting machines.
Additionally, it was working with the Office of the First Lady on the Infantile Malaria Charity Partnership Project as well as the Embassy of Israel on the Save A Child’s Heart, under which children with complicated cardiac problems were sent to Israel for surgery.
Founded about three years ago, the Hotel is owned by the Gold Coast City Company comprising the Government of Ghana, through the Ghana Tourist Board; a Nigerian investor, a Russian investor and a British investor.
Kempinski is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.
Mr Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), said the Organisation was happy with the Hotel’s services when it hosted the World Press Freedom Day.
He said the impending 70th Anniversary of the GJA would also be launched at the facility because Kempinski was a worthy partner.
GNA