Since the 90s, Sheraton has been one of the prominent names in the luxury scene of Dhaka city. Many of us have fond memories of weekend morning strolls and fun with parents near the poolside landscapes. As the city grew, so did the urbanscape, the economy, and hence a shift of luxury being more contemporary with the time.
Sheraton Dhaka in a new location in Banani is an excellent example of the recall value of a brand. The interesting friction with the prior location is that the city dwellers are still getting familiar with and accepting the nostalgia within the new vertical opulence. The contemporary and trendy expression is a boon to the new generation of entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts, alongside the youth crowd. The location of Banani is in a merging mesh of formal and informal zones, may it be corporate offices with the big business companies or a hub for youth to hang out and collaborate. “The new business model of the brand is to connect these dots,” shared Md. Al Amin, Hotel Manager and In-charge of Sales and Marketing. He also added, “Sheraton’s slogan is ‘Where the World Comes Together’ and Sheraton is community which is about ‘We’ rather than ‘I’.”
A premium hotel is not just about a beautiful architecture or posh interiors serving the brand value, but the services and how the functionality works. One of the basic guidelines for any hotel is to design the circulation and utility of the spaces. As we visually experience the front of the house and its ambiance, the back of the house provides smooth services subconsciously yielding ease. Since 2016 the 81 years old operating Sheraton Brand became a part of Marriott International. This shift has been an improved revamping session for the brand protocols. As per the brand guidelines, all the designs are executed. High-end and prominent local architectural consultants and a Singaporean design consultancy firm collaborated with the Marriott International design and management team for the execution process. The active participation and suggestion of the local owner, a seasoned hotelier, added value to the output.
The hotel has a gourmet café called Toastina, a buffet restaurant and alfresco named The Garden Kitchen, On the Rocks -a whiskey bar, and a high-end Japanese restaurant, Yumi. One of the biggest column-less ballrooms in the city, spanning approximately 8000 square feet. A club Lounge for Club Room Guests and for top-tier Marriott Bonvoy members, a gym with the best city view, spa facilities, and many other support features of a modern and upscale hotel. Marriott International is specific about the arrangement as they achieved the class over the years. Everything is per the standards, from the washroom amenities, mattress, and bed linen to the kitchen layout and room sizes. The restaurant has all freshly imported ingredients to maintain the quality. The hotel is a no-smoking zone. Due to the new branding value of communal developments, the sitting arrangements are for a larger group of people.
“Sheraton being a full-service hotel does not just limit itself to bed and breakfast, but rather the ambiance ambiance and overall experience of the service. Sheraton has one of the largest hotel footprints overall within the Marriott’s Brands. Sheraton considered as a flagship in the Dhaka is region,” shared Mr. Al Amin.
In an Exclusive Interview with Daniel J Muhor General Manager, Sheraton Dhaka
1. As per the memories of the 80/90’s people and kids, luxury hotels meant the Pan Pacific Sonargaon (existing) and the Sheraton Dhaka, at the present premises of Intercontinental. That shift of nostalgia from a lawn-based architecture to an urban upraised scraper. How do you feel this change is appropriate?
There are advantages and disadvantages. People are experiencing a positive shift, just at times struggling between the present and previous location, but still adaptive. For better reference, we are addressing it more emphasized as Sheraton Dhaka, Banani. People are responding to the recall value of the brand.
As the land occupancy is getting concentrated in Dhaka city with land as such from Banani, one of the most expensive ones in the world, it is tough to plan the layout horizontally. The location shifted alongside the architectural style from horizontal to vertical planning. Having the fact of generating revenues, every square foot matters. If land such as in Banani gets used for urban landscaping and ground-level outdoor spaces, it would have been tough for the owner to generate revenues.
But we have kept an open alfresco area that serves as an outdoor landscape, and at the top, the poolside area adds to it as well. And the panoramic views as you go up the floors add a new experience. Overall, we feel it is an urban retreat within the hassle and bustle of the city.
2. Most people are observing the contrast between Banani supermarket and a five-star rated hotel. How was the selection of the property made keeping such an interesting combination?
Initially, the Banani supermarket was a worrying factor. But the existing structure has been a great fortune. The podium coverage that we have is approximately 44000 square feet. And there are lots of examples of shared land-use systems of commercial spaces worldwide. Many premium hotels are operating this way. The owner is investing to improve the ambiance to smudge the contrast. Hence, the supermarket is getting upgraded, increasing its value and the property value parallel. The lower few levels of the market are louvered from outside. The entrance is more decorated, providing a better experience for the people visiting the market. The roots are important too, and the addition of Sheraton will cocreate the landmark. The users need help to be educated about the usability of the facilities in a better way.
3. Hotel and their hospitality differ in many experiential and served ways. How Sheraton, Dhaka is planning to be exceptional in this developing range of upcoming hotels?
The hotel’s one of the best-selling points is one of the biggest pillars less ballroom, in a busy area of the city. We have 248 rooms starting from the size of 380 square feet to above. On the 7th and 8th floors, there is parking for 200 cars with four car lifts. The gym has one of the best panoramic views of the city. Our swimming pool is the highest infinity pool in the city. The process of selecting the location for the hotel to be established has been a major decision, as the zone is in between the business and the diplomatic zone. The whole layout is planned to maximize the utility of the spaces. One of the finest Japanese restaurants, with curated food experience and a veteran seasoned chef to keep the authenticity. A beautiful alfresco with a buffet restaurant. All the products and ingredients used in the kitchen are imported and treated by international chefs. The spa and the jacuzzi, both separate for men and women are another added attraction for the guests. There’s a cozy club heavily driven by the Bon-Voy culture. The owner is a seasoned hotelier with great taste and ideas, his experience within the operations and investment came up to a fantastic outcome overall.
4. How is the future of hotel chains as such planned in urbanization?
The hotel business scene is good and blooming in Dhaka. As the GDP is increasing, foreign delegates frequently visit the city for business purposes. Post-Pandemic this engagement came as bigger and better. The hotels are driven by domestic people and served by locals as well, hence a job market in hospitality has been created. For people to enjoy themselves better, the banks are helping with a lot of offers and benefits, which are unlikely in most South Asian countries.
The skyline of the neighborhoods provides a vibe of a first-world country. The formation of the architectural buildings is adding to uplift the grade of the city and lifestyle bringing a positive result.
Sheraton’s slogan is ‘Where the World Comes Together’ and Sheraton is community which is about ‘We’ rather than ‘I’
5. What is the most positive factor about Sheraton which might attract upcoming generations?
The new Sheraton in Dhaka is a contemporary hotel with a trendy, sleek, and chic ambiance. It is fresh and clean, with no interference from the outside world once you enter the heightened lobby. That is a similar kind of vibe in all the Sheratons worldwide. But keeping the newness has always been our priority target.
Marriott International valuing the people’s experience has always maintained its standards. There are sets of architects and designers within the Marriott portfolio, who goes through a training session before working on any projects. The preplanning and designing phase pass through approvals, and after the final confirmation, the hotel can be called a Sheraton.
The specifications are precise, the room size, the fixture layout and set up of bathrooms, the amount of trade mill needed alongside the number of rooms, and more. This precision of brand value is what might be valued by the upcoming generations.
Moreover, the most exciting part of Sheraton’s brand culture is connecting and celebrating. This perspective was beneficial for interior designing, seating arrangements, and space management. The community appreciating the welcomeness is what we believe will hold out youth together and bind with us.
Authored by Rehnuma Tasnim Sheefa
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