Ogunyemi Odunayo is versatile and well-seasoned manager of hotel and very knowledgeable in hospitality industry. He is the General Manager of Swiss International Beland Hotel, acclaimed to be the tallest hotel building in Imo State. In this interview with SABY ELEMBA, he says that the hotel is not just the tallest but best in terms of facility, quality service delivery, customer satisfaction and great in offering professional service. Excerpts:
There are many standard hotels in Owerri, why do you think people should leave them and patronise Swiss International Beland Hotel?
Thank you, first I am Dr. Ogunyemi Odunayo. I am the General Manager of Swiss International Beland Hotel, Owerri. Now, Swiss International Beland Hotel, Owerri is not only the tallest hotel in Owerri, but in terms of facility, the facilities are the tallest; in terms of quality service delivery, it is the tallest, in terms of customer satisfaction it is the tallest. So, it is the tallest all round because of the quality service it renders. So, we stand out because the hotel is built in a modern way that can stand the test of time with quality facilities. If you have visited the hotel before, you will attest to the fact that the hotel is a purpose-built hotel and it is serving the public rightly.
Can you tell us some of the facilities in the hotel?
Swiss International Beland Hotel has so many facilities ranging from quality accommodations that are well-equipped to 1000 capacity banquet hall. We have about six different halls in the hotel for different occasions. We have gymnasium section that can handle a whole lot of gym activities.
We have a standard swimming pool size that can compete with any one in Owerri city. We also have what we call, “People’s Chamber.” People’s Chamber is a place that we refer to as “Bush Bar” where we have live band to play music to entertain the guests with local delicacies. So, we have so many facilities but to mention but a few.
Kindly tell us the number of your workforce and the number of rooms in the hotel?
Presently, we have about 70 well-trained staff. And based on this, they are also well-positioned to give quality service to our customers with international standard and local affinity. On the number of rooms; we have a total of 124 rooms in Swiss International Beland Hotels, ranging from single room to Presidential suite and they are fully equipped.
GM, yours is the tallest hotel and the biggest with the best modern hotel equipment as you said, but are you pleased with the number of guests that come to lodge in your hotel?
The fact remains that our business is seasonal, and sometimes, it goes up and sometimes, it comes down. But when we experience low turnout of guests, we take that advantage to carry out maintenance in preparation for the boom, we cover this up or make it up when we have robust customers.
Now, walk us through your kitchen; what kinds of dishes do you offer your customers?
Our Swiss Flavour Restaurant is a world-class. It is a world-class restaurant in the sense that we serve both national dishes and continental cuisine. So, we can serve you no matter the place, country or continent you are coming from.
Since you assumed duty as the general manager of Swiss International Beland Hotel, have you received adverse reports from customers against your services or reports of commendations for quality services rendered?
Of course, we have our mechanisms for gathering information and reports. And from the reviews; I can say that we are doing great here. Doing great is the people’s view about the hotel. It’s a good one, and we are happy to see some of these views coming out positively from our customers. And our guests can confirm that we offer quality professional services. There is also room for improvement in terms of breakdown of service.
How functional is the gymnasium section?
The gymnasium is fully equipped; all the equipment there are modern, quality and brand new; we imported them from the United States. So, the gym section is top-notch.
What may be your final word to the public for now?
Once again, Swiss International Beland Hotel is a world-class hotel that can house a lot of customers; no matter the kind of facility you need. We are to serve you with any kind of thing you will need. It’s a home away from home, come and patronise us and you will see what we have on the ground.
