Sukamdani launches books to mark hotel's anniversary

JAKARTA (JP): Sukamdani Sahid Gitosardjono, founder and president of the Sahid Group, launched yesterday two books on hotels and tourism, to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of his oldest hotel, and to mark his business expansion.

Sukamdani, in collaboration with his wife Juliah Sukamdani, wrote a special book, entitled Wiratama Gelar Pariwisata, for the inauguration of the completion of an expansion project of the Hotel Sahid Raya Solo in Surakarta, Central Java.

In addition to the inaugural book, Sukamdani has written another book on tourism, Pariwisata dalam Perspektif Pembangunan Ekonomi Indonesia (Tourism in the Perspective of Indonesia's Economic Development).

Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Joop Ave is expected to officially inaugurate the expanded four-star hotel on July 8.

Sukamdani said the expansion of the Surakarta hotel cost approximately Rp 45 billion (US$20 million), of which only 40 percent was accrued from bank loans.

The 12-story Sahid Raya Hotel has 102 standard rooms, 23 executive suites, 14 standard-plus rooms and one luxury suite. It is equipped with a coffee shop, restaurant, conference room, 200- chair banquet-size ballroom, swimming pool, business center and fitness center.

Sukamdani said he was preparing to improve the hotel to a five-star hotel because "this hotel is leaving me with a deep memory".

Opened on July 8, 1965, as the Sahid Sala Hotel, with only 28 rooms, the hotel was the first one built by the Sahid Group through its oldest subsidiary PT Sahid & Co.

The Sahid Group currently controls 14 hotels, across the country, with a total of 2,621 rooms, including the publicly- listed Hotel Sahid Jaya in Jakarta, and one apartment building.

In addition, Sahid also is developing two hotels in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, and Lombok, east of Bali, which will add 400 rooms to the Sahid hotel chain next year.

Sukamdani said he was greatly optimistic about the future of Surakarta as a major tourist destination because of the opening of its airport as a new international gateway to Indonesia later this year.

Singapore's Silk Air will start linking Singapore with Surakarta twice a weekly later this year.(rid)