Hoteliers optimistic business ’ll improve after Sallah

The General Manager, Kingstone Hotel, Ilorin, Mrs Funmilayo Adeniran said with the Ramadhan fasting coming to an end on Friday or Saturday, she that business would immediately improve in the hotel.

Before now, Adeniran said hardly would a day pass by for rooms in the hotel not being booked by their customers; however she lamented that they experienced low patronage in the on-going month with their sales dropping with about 20 per cent.

The GM, who spoke through her Secretary, Omolola Esther Jegede said, "Before Ramadhan, all our rooms are usually occupied but now the patronage have drop to 5 to 10 rooms per day. From the usual 70-80% to 20-25% per day”, she said.

On the challenges facing them, Adeniran said they don't usually have power and water supply in the hotel, thereby they have to spend huge amount of money to buy diesel to be able to pump water and provide light for their customers' use.

On her part, the Senior Manager, Princess Luxury Hotel, Mrs Felicia Abara lamented that multiple taxation from both state and local government have their major problem from separate agencies that usually came to harass them for payment.

Abara commended the state government for putting up policy that would address the problems of multiple taxation.

She said, "The hospitality business must enjoy some tax relief because we are operating under a harsh condition in our efforts to give customers the needed comfort. That will enable us to grow faster and be able to contribute to the state’s economy, especially in the areas of tourism and job creation.”

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