Hotel Medan back in business<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Once surrounded by shops, restaurants and offices, following the
\nDec. 26 tsunami the nearest thing to the Hotel Medan in Banda
\nAceh is a large wooden fishing boat that washed up from the
\nnearby beach.<\/p>\n
The hotel reopened on Jan. 30 after being closed for over a
\nmonth, and the staff are back to their familiar routine of
\ngreeting and providing services to guests.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, 65-year-old Yakob, who has worked at the hotel
\nfor 48 years, was busy preparing soap and towels for a guest on
\nthe second floor.<\/p>\n
\"I never had so many days off before,\" said Yakob, happy to be
\nback to work.<\/p>\n
Despite its limited facilities, 40 of the hotel's 80 rooms are
\noccupied.<\/p>\n
\"Of the hotel's four floors, only two can be used right now.
\nThe other two are still being cleaned up, I don't know when they
\nwill be ready,\" said Nana, the hotel's 30-year-old receptionist.<\/p>\n
The Hotel Medan is the first tsunami-affected hotel in the
\ncity to reopen. Several other hotels that were not affected by
\nthe tidal wave remained opened or closed only for several days.<\/p>\n
In the lobby several guests relaxed, despite the mud stains
\nstill visible on the walls and floor.<\/p>\n
\"The facilities are limited. We still can't provide hot water,
\na restaurant, TV and phones. But many guests are staying here
\nbecause renting a house or getting a room in another hotel is
\nexpensive,\" Nana said.<\/p>\n
She said the hotel was known for its affordable prices, decent
\nfacilities and its location in the city center.<\/p>\n
\"Most of our guests are regulars, but now we also have many
\nforeigners staying here,\" Nana said.<\/p>\n
The hotel's owner, Tandiono, said the hotel reopened so
\nquickly at the request of regular guests who found it difficult
\nto find anywhere to stay in Banda Aceh after the tsunami.<\/p>\n
\"Since there were so many requests, I decided to reopen the
\nbusiness. But you can see for yourself that it's still a mess. We
\ntell new guests about the situation and the services we can
\nprovide. If they're not happy, it's better if they don't stay
\nhere,\" Tandiono said.<\/p>\n
The hotel, the second oldest in Banda Aceh, was opened in the
\n1950s by Tandiono's father, an ethnic Chinese Thai.<\/p>\n
Tandiono said the earthquake and tsunami caused significant
\ndamage to the hotel. Although there was no structural damage,
\nmuch of the equipment on the first floor, including the phone
\nsystem, television and parabola, were ruined by the water. He
\nestimates the losses on the first floor alone at Rp 500 million
\n(US$55,555).<\/p>\n
He also plans to have the fishing boat removed from the
\nhotel's grounds soon.<\/p>\n
\"If we don't remove it the Iskandar Muda Military Command will
\ndestroy it because it disrupts traffic.\"<\/p>\n
Despite its limited facilities the hotel has still raised its
\nrates.<\/p>\n
For a standard room, the rate is now between Rp 150,000 and Rp
\n175,000 per night, compared to Rp 90,000 previously. VIP rooms
\nnow cost from Rp 225,000 to Rp 250,000 per night, up from Rp
\n140,000.<\/p>\n
\"We have to replace many things, from bedsheets to television
\nsets. These things cost a lot of money, but the most expensive
\nthing is water,\" Tandiono said.<\/p>\n
For water alone, he has to pay Rp 10 million per month, for
\nwhich a water company sends over 12 tons of water three times
\ndaily.<\/p>\n
\"When the situation returns to normal, I'll lower the rates.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hotel-medan-back-in-business-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }