Renovated Ruposhi Bangla hotel ready to reemerge as InterContinental Dhaka

The five-star Ruposhi Bangla hotel is finally reemerging as InterContinental Dhaka after four years of closure for renovation.

Its commercial operations will start one month from inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sept 13.

The civil aviation and tourism ministry informed the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry about the progress on the renovation of the hotel at a meeting on Monday.

The hotel will run experimentally for a month after the inauguration, Committee Chairman Faruk Khan MP told the media after the meeting.

Bangladesh Services Ltd, currently running the around six-decade old hotel, struck a deal in 2012 with InterContinental Hotel Group, which was in charge of the hotel from 1966 to 1983, so that the group can return to its management.

The renovation work started in September, 2014.

Before Bangladesh Services Ltd took charge in April, 2011, Sheraton managed the hotel for 28 years.

The hotel on Minto Road, since its inception in 1962, has been a witness to many historical events that shaped the nation.

Its structure was enlarged in 1981 and more features were added over the years.

File Photo

Global hotel management companies have been advising that it be upgraded to international five-star standards.

Ruposhi Bangla had 272 guest rooms of various kinds ranging from 24 to 26 square metres.

But they were to be enlarged in line with international five-star standards which will bring down the number of rooms to 230, officials said.

The furnishing was also supposed to be upgraded along with the swimming pool and fitness centre.

The renovation had been scheduled to end in January, 2016 in line with the deal but the deadline was extended several times later.

The estimated cost of the renovation was between Tk 4.3 billion and Tk 4.5 billion.

Chinese firm Norinco International and Bangladesh’s Charuta Private Limited got the renovation contract.

Officials of the two firms have been sued after the death of a worker during the renovation.

When the parliamentary committee expressed disappointment over the delay, the ministry cited a glitch in the plan.