New management breathing new life into Fulbari Resort

POKHARA, April 8:

Fulbari Resort & Spa of Pokhara is getting a facelift under the new management.

Vaibhav Tandon, general manger of the resort, said the new management is trying to reinvent the resort´s lost glory. “We are trying to regain the resort´s lost reputation,” Tandon said.

Clarks Group of Hotels of India took over the management of the five-star deluxe resort from January. The group has a long experience of managing hotels in India

Established in 1948, Clarks is one of the fastest growing hotel chains in the world with over 41 hotels in its network. It will look after the overall operations, management and marketing of the deluxe resort for 15 years.

The resort, which is owned by the Amatya Group, was operating in loss when the Clarks Group took over the management.

“We believe we can utilize our experience in running this resort here. Clarks is hopeful that its experience will work out well here,” Tandon said, adding that they would work to raise the standard of the resort on par with other Indian resorts.

According to Tandon, Clarks Collection has been providing employment to around 5,000 persons through its 41 hotels of different categories.
Though the Indian group has taken over the management of the resort, the owner is responsible for the maintenance of the resort. Tandon said necessary infrastructures were being built and the old structure of the hotel is being changed to give a new look to the resort. At present, works on interior decoration of the resort is going on.

Saying that they have a distinct marketing strategy, Tandon said they would make the resort profitable by bringing guests that are staying in different Clarks hotels in India. “The occupancy rate of the resort was almost zero when we took over the management. Now, we are enjoying around 20 percent occupancy,” he said. “We will be in profit if we became successful in raising occupancy above 50 percent.”

Amatya Group has invested over Rs 3 billion in the resort established in 1998. The resort, which is spread over 209 ropanis, has its own golf course sprawling 140 ropanis.
Tandon said they were trying to woo guests that have already stayed in the resort. “Most of the guests have forgotten the resort. We have to bring them back here again, which is not an easy job,” Tandon said, adding, “But we have a strategy for that.”

He also said the new management plans to achieve break even within five months. Tandon also said the group plans to reopen the resort´s in-house casino. “We are also planning to build a conference hall that can accommodate 1,000 persons,” he added.

Source: Republica