The FINANCIAL — The Sheraton Batumi hotel, which in recent times has become the symbol of the Georgian Black Sea resort, had full occupancy this New Year.
According to Omer Subasi, General Manager of Sheraton Batumi, last year the hotel hosted hundreds of holidaying families from its neighbour countries Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine as well as from Iran, Israel and the USA. During the summer season the hotel experienced an increase in the number of guests from Europe too.
In the last year among the guests at Sheraton Batumi were many world famous celebrities such as British singer and songwriter Sting, pop-stars Enrique Iglesias, Andrea Bocelli, Macy Gray, also His Highness Prince Albert III of Monaco.
Subasi says that 2011 was an extremely successful year for the Sheraton Batumi hotel. It was only the second year since its opening. The hotel started the year with a better position on the market though, with very well trained and qualified staff, good experience, excellent knowledge of the market and many loyal guests.
“During the previous year we had established good connections with many international and local companies and government entities. We have proven ourselves as a hotel that never compromises on quality of service and always goes that extra mile for the satisfaction of our guests. Due to our magnificent facilities we have hosted many internationally important events, the NATO summit was one of them; we were honoured to be visited by Monaco Crowned Prince Albert III, as well as by many celebrities from show business,” Subasi noted.
“The number of our guests in 2011 was more than in the year before. We were very busy during the summer season, fully booked for almost the whole of July, August and the first part of September. During the off season we were mainly hosting MICE groups and were busy with meetings and conventions as well as individual travellers,” Subasi said.
Sheraton Batumi pays much attention to charity actions. Subasi cited what American philosopher William James once said “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does”.
“We know that each of our actions, every step taken to help others, does make a difference and may change somebody’s life in a positive way. Here at the Sheraton we believe that Life is Better when Shared. Our hotel is reflecting the corporate policy of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. which as a company with a really high level of social responsibility motivates us in organizing many charity events. Each of our employees is completely devoted and dedicated to the community services we are constantly taking part in,” Subasi said.
“For many years Starwood has been cooperating with UNICEF-international fund for children. All of our hotels are taking part in the UNICEF programme “Check Out for Children”, a programme which collects and transfers donations from our guests to UNICEF. Last year we visited Makhindjauri Children’s Orphanage many times, painted some of the rooms, improved their maintenance, and brought many gifts to those little children there who are so keen to love and be loved in return,” Subasi said.
To show these children affection and care Sheraton Batumi decided to invite the children to the annual Children’s Party normally organized for their associates’ children only.
“By doing this we tried to give the orphans a beautiful day to be treasured in their memories for many years to come, to show them how much we care about them, make them believe that they are not alone and that they are a valued part of the community,” Subasi noted.
“For this New Year we developed special New Year packages taking into consideration of all our guests’ preferences. The packages include a Buffet Dinner at the Restaurant Sunflower, Gala Dinner with live music performance in the lounge restaurant and bar “Veronica” with stunning views of the Batumi skyline, and New Year’s Eve Party with DJ NUGO at the Night Club Caladium,” Subasi said.
According to Subasi, Batumi is not only about “Sun and Sea”; it has much more to offer guests. It is gradually becoming an international destination, transforming into a centre for commerce and business; a meeting point and stage for many international events.
“Sheraton Batumi Hotel is the pioneer in the development of this city’s branded hospitality initiative. Our perfect location just next to the beautiful Batumi Boulevard, proximity to both Batumi International Airport and the Sarpi Border is one of the many reasons why guests prefer us. Our hotel’s ballroom is the largest in Batumi at over 968 square metres with 9 metres in ceiling height with no standing columns and is ideal for weddings or corporate events,” Subasi noted.
“For smaller meetings and conferences the hotel has six other state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a fully equipped business centre. For those who want to relax after a busy day they can enjoy our Sheraton Shine Spa with its diversity of offers from indoor pool to outstanding Turkish Hamam. Our club floor guests have the advantage of being able to use the VIP Club Lounge which is at their disposal 24 hourly with complimentary snacks and beverages available all day. We are constantly developing interesting packages to attract guests during the other seasons, these include Wedding Packages, Bayram Packages, New Year Packages and Groups & Conference Packages,” Subasi said.
“At Starwood we believe that we have the most talented staff, which helps us make the difference. Our people are the ones who deliver results and make us succeed in today’s competitive climate. As a company with a high level of social responsibility, our Human Resources Department spends a lot of time communicating with our associates, anticipating their needs and coming up with the best solutions,” Subasi said.
“Developing and keeping our staff ahead of others is one of the major directions of our company; trainings and coaching of specific skills are done within each department as well as through the Human Resources Department and when an employee is noticed as having greater potential, he/she is coached for further promotions. We are a big family; we care for each other and our guests. Every successful step is shared and celebrated amongst us all; every outstanding performance noticed and appreciated,” Subasi told The FINANCIAL.
In terms of leisure amenities Sheraton Batumi boasts its 2,000 square metre magnificent Sheraton Shine Spa which includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sauna, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, Turkish Hamam and the brand’s signature fitness deal – Sheraton Fitness by Core Performance.
Another key feature of the property is the brand’s signature hotel offer: The “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft”. It is a unique lobby lounge that enables guests to stay connected with instant access to information and technology for work, leisure and social networking. Both spa facilities and Link@Sheraton are provided for hotel guests for free, as well as free internet Wi-Fi access in all hotel rooms and free entrance to our Night Club Caladium. All rooms and suites are equipped with the latest technologies and the signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Beds – a specially designed mattress that one can only find in Sheraton hotels,” Subasi said.
Among the plans of the Sheraton Batumi for 2012 is improvement of its service to an even higher level with better trained staff, and to keep attracting new guests to the amazing city that is Batumi – to help make Batumi the most successful destination in the Black Sea region!
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