By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Kumasi, Feb. 24, GNA – Mr Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has expressed disappointment about the decline in the quality of standards of some budget hotels in the region.
He attributed the causes of the fallen standards to the neglect of facilities by management, appointment of unqualified staff to manage these facilities and poor maintenance culture.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the performance of the accommodation industry in the region, he said although the GTA was mandated to ensure that accommodation facilities were up to operating standards, the contributions of facility managers could not be overlooked.
He said while some facility managers were up to the task to meet the minimum requirement for licensing, Mr Adjei-Rudolph observed that, many others were operating under poor and unhygienic conditions.
“There are some that outrightly cannot operate due to the poor state of every department of the facility, but there are others that genuinely, were willing to fix the few defects when prompted to,” he said.
Mr Adjei-Rudolph said the standard requirements for all categories of accommodation facilities were enshrined in the Registration and Licensing of Accommodation Regulations L.I. 2239 of 2016.
However, he said the basic requirements of a budget hotel included security through the provision of a gate, a fence wall and burglar proofs at the windows for protection.
Additionally, the hotel must have a well-appointed reception, a functional kitchen, dining area, wooden beds, and a washroom for every room.
Mr Adjei-Rudolph explained that in situations where a Budget Hotel did not have washrooms in the rooms but outside the rooms, two rooms were allowed to share one washroom.
Furthermore, the washrooms must have a shaving mirror and a wash hand basin, a soap dish, a towel reel, toiletries, a water closet with a seat and a cover, and a waste bin.
Again, he mentioned that the light in the rooms must be very bright, the curtains should be opaque to prevent sun rays from entering the room, the room must have a fan, an armchair, a writing desk and a chair, full length dressing mirror, among others.
Mr Adjei-Rudolph expressed dissatisfaction with guests who patronized Budget Hotels which did not meet the required standards by law.
He advised guests at Budget Hotels to be more concerned about their well-being by first looking out for the operational license of the hotel, issued by the GTA and the expiration date on the license.
“The licenses of hotels were yearly based which are renewed to last from January 1 to December 31,” Mr Adjei-Rudolph pointed.
According to him, guests were at liberty to request to see the rooms before booking to ensure that their satisfactions were met.
Mr. Adjei-Rudolph urged citizens to support the GTA in enforcing the law by reporting accommodation facilities which were not up to the expected standards and those operating illegally.
He also called on the management of all accommodation facilities to put their facilities in order so as not to be found wanting during the GTA’s enforcement exercise.
“Facilities operating without licenses should visit the GTA office to be registered and licensed to operate within the confines of the law,” Mr. Adjei-Rudolph advised.
GNA