The FINANCIAL — With a USD 25 million investment portfolio Sheraton Metechi Palace, Tbilisi’s iconic five star hotel, is to be transformed into a modern hotel with Georgian style elements of architecture and design. To facilitate the refurbishment programme that will be taking place, the hotel will close on 1 December, 2014, and is scheduled to re-open again in early 2016. The management of the hotel thinks that it is the right time to implement this investment and that in two years’ time Sheraton will be able to meet the boom of tourists in Georgia from the next level.
The transformation of the hotel into a property offering top tier facilities for well-experienced travellers is being enabled by an investment by the government of Ras Al Khaimah, which has owned the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel since 2007.
“It is very important that the investment is made at the right time. With the new hotels that are coming into Tbilisi it is important that we are levelling what is offered in the city,” Klaus Brandstetter, Area Manager and Director New Builds and Transitions, East and Central Europe, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, told The FINANCIAL. “There are ups and downs in the hotel industry and it is the right moment to invest and to be ready when it really goes up again. I know that there are discussions about the slowdown in the economy but we believe in the country; we believe in the strength of Georgia, and we see a very bright future here. The amount of investment is sufficient to renovate all of the rooms, the public areas, restaurants, as well as extend the conference facilities to be able to host the largest meetings in the town,” he added.
“During the renovation Starwood, and especially the Sheraton brand, are always committed to bringing elements of history or Georgian heritage into the hotel as a reflection of where we are. Guests always appreciate this. Foreign customers in particular are always happy to see the elements of the country and its traditions being brought inside the hotel. When you go to the old part of the city of Tbilisi you can find beautiful traditional balconies. Maybe we will bring these Georgian style balconies to the Sheraton’s façade. A city that has grown through history – this is what we will try to bring into the design,” Brandstetter said.
The landmark hotel, which was opened in 1989, will be upgraded with state-of-the-art fitness and spa facilities as well as new restaurants, bars and an exclusive club lounge. The hotel’s conference and events centre will be further expanded, with its facilities being upgraded with the latest amenities and signature services of the Sheraton brand. The hotel’s guest rooms will be completely re-configured so that post-renovation – the hotel will feature a total of 220 luxurious guest rooms, club rooms and suites.
The size of the lobby will remain the same. Additional enhancements and modern features will be added. Fitness will be updated and enlarged. The Shine Spa for Sheraton – another core value of the Sheraton brand, will be the perfect addition with new treatment rooms, steam baths, saunas as well as upgraded indoor and outdoor pools.
A new Signature restaurant will be opened on the 10th floor in combination with a bar and lounge. An “All-day-diner” is additionally planned to be combined with upgraded banqueting facilities, in order to remain the largest hotel conference centre in town.
The construction contractor and labour force will be Georgian, according to Brandstetter. “But first of all we will discuss the architectural and design works with our international colleagues. Guests will still recognize the new Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel by its signature lobby but apart from that it will be a completely new product,” he said.
Nowadays, 80% of the guests who stay at the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel are international customers, more than 50% – SPG members (Starwood Preferred Guest). They are loyal customers who are used to international standards, which despite the old building and conservative facilities, they never lack for in our hotel.
Brandstetter believes that after this grandiose refurbishment, implementation of all the brand’s standards, building-up of all the core values of the Sheraton, brand awareness, guest satisfaction and loyalty will increase even further. Loyal guests will be in charge of the renovation process and will be periodically invited to the hotel to see how the process is going.
“There will be regular updates for our customers about the renovation process. During the construction we will have some events where we will bring customers and partners to see how the renovation is going and make them a part of it. I think that our customers are looking forward to the renovation and coming back to the new Sheraton afterwards,” Brandstetter said.
At the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel not only the guests, but also the employees, are happy. Out of 180 employees 98% are happy or very happy and proud to work with the Sheraton brand, according to the statistics. During the renovation period some of them will be sent abroad for trainings and some of them will be employed in the hospitality industry. Brandstetter hopes that all of them will come back to Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel and continue their job there when the renovation ends.
“It is a very important period for the associates as well. I think it is a tremendous opportunity for local people. Out of the total number of 183, 50 of them are going abroad to different properties to learn, to be educated, to study different languages. Some of them are retiring. However, when the hotel is opened up again we would like all of them to come back. You can change the colours and materials of a place, but the people are the most important thing, and those you cannot change. We are lucky that the team members have been so committed. Many guests come here because our associates recognize them and create an environment for the guests as though they are at home,” Brandstetter said.
Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel was the first 5-star international hotel in the entire Caucasus region. An acclaimed leader of the international hotel scene in Georgia, the hotel is perched on 26 acres of pristine land, offering breath-taking panoramic views of the city and mountains, an environmentally clean location, high security, and enjoys a solid reputation for service excellence. The Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel is managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the world’s leading US-based hotel management companies.
Discussion about this post