Budget-friendly Sundarban Hotel still preferred by many

Back in its heyday, the two-star Sundarban Hotel in Dhaka would have given the five-star Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel, which sits on the opposite side of the road, a run for its money by staying fully booked throughout the year.

Although the situation is not the same now in an overly competitive market, Sundarban Hotel is still preferred by many from here and abroad as a budget-friendly residential hotel at the heart of the capital city.

The owner had chosen this spot, which falls under the Kathalbagan area, to build the hotel keeping in mind the accommodation of supporting staff or officials of businessmen, foreign delegates or heads of big local or international organisations who would stay at Sonargaon hotel.

Since its inception, Sundarban Hotel has been the right place for these people to stay as the budget hotel closest to Sonargaon hotel.

Apart from this, the hotel’s goal is to provide a cheap but comfortable stay with all amenities to travellers from different areas of Bangladesh and other countries during their visit to Dhaka, said Sundarban Hotel’s owner and Managing Director Mohammad Faruque Hossain while talking to The Business Post at his office.

He said the hotel currently has 100 rooms but 80-85 of them are in operation. Throughout the year, it serves 35-40 per cent of boarders on average.

In the beginning…

Faruque said that the number of residential hotels in various areas of Dhaka was not like what it is now 38 years ago. Thinking about the people from the southern region and other areas visiting Dhaka, his late father Abdul Jabbar established the hotel on Bir Uttam CR Dutta Road in 1984.

Jabbar, a businessman who later also served as the Satkhira-2 MP, had followed through with his plan to build it near a five-star hotel and name it after a historical place like the Sonargaon hotel.

Faruque said that his father, as a proud Satkhira local, decided to name it Sundarban Hotel after the world’s largest mangrove forest which is Bangladesh’s pride and never looked back.

Faruque said they had various businesses during the Pakistan period but after the country’s independence, they started the Park Hotel in Khulna in 1980.

Khulna turned into a commercial city very soon due to the development of various factories, including jute mills, and goods transportation through Mongla Port. The family built the Park Hotel with the plan to provide accommodation to traders, workers and travelling businessmen.

He said after their hotel became very popular, the then Khulna commissioner Kazi Azhar told his father that he should build another hotel in Dhaka where the people of the south will be able to enjoy such facilities at reasonable prices during visits.

“Following his suggestion, my father later bought one and a half bigha of land opposite the Sonargaon hotel. At that time, there were no other buildings in this area. It was a canal.

“In 1982, my father started building the hotel and inaugurated it as a two-star hotel two years later,” said Faruque, who has been running it since Jabbar’s death.

The amenities

Talking to The Business Post, Sundarban Hotel General Manager Md Wazed Ali said the establishment currently has rooms under three classes — deluxe, standard and economy.

Deluxe single room rent is Tk 3,500 per day and double Tk 4,200. Meanwhile, standard class single room rent is Tk 3,000 per day and double Tk 3,500. And economy classes single room Tk 1,200 and double Tk 1,500.

Earlier, the hotel used to pick up and drop off transit passengers and provide them with accommodation in collaboration with Biman Bangladesh Airlines. But it does not provide this service due to traffic congestion and distance.

However, they still have corporate agreements with various institutions, like the National Academy for Planning and Development and the National Institute of Population Research and Training. Their people stay here during visits like many foreigners do, Wazed said.

He said most of their rooms are air-conditioned. They also have 24-hour room service and laundry facilities. “Our security system is also advanced.”

There is a restaurant for the guests. Considering local and foreign guests, it offers foods from Bengali, Indian, Chinese and English cuisines. Non-boarders can also eat here. The restaurant, however, does not offer a buffet facility, he said.

Besides, Wazed added, there are two halls in the hotel. One is a banquet hall with a sitting capacity of 250 people and a mini hall with a capacity of 100 people. “Anyone can rent the halls for a variety of parties and events.”

The hotel does not have a swimming pool, gym, health club or a bar and indoor and outdoor games. It also does not have its transport systems but it can help guests to rent a car if asked.

The hotel has its own parking space and alternate power and generator system to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Every floor has one fire exit.

Looking ahead

General Manager Wazed said their business was very good in the beginning but now the market is very competitive. “However, with the amount of business we still get, we can continue to take care of our expenses without much hassle.”

Speaking about plans for the future, owner Faruque said that they do need to carry out some renovation works under current circumstances and it will require around Tk 50-100 crore.

“Yes, the hotel business has become way more competitive nowadays. But we don’t go for bank loans for further investment because we don’t want to take the risk.

“We have the space and prospects to turn this hotel into a five-star one but we want to keep it as it is now under the ongoing stressful economic situation. However, if any international hotel chain wishes to invest and operate it as a five-star hotel, we will highly consider it,” said Faruque.