Herald Sunday Edition

Ras Hotel, the oldest sparkling jewel amid hotels in Ethiopia

— February 9, 2020 67 comments

Ras Hotel is the pride of Ethiopia in Hotel Industry. Located at the heart of Addis Ababa, in close proximity to the Ethiopian National Theater, The hotel can easily be reached by any visitor who wishes to enjoy its amenities. Conceptually, a hotel is much more than the design and physical layout of its building. It also encompasses the service you offered as a hotel management company, ambience, attention to details, the type of experience for guests, and the quality of the products.

The moment one sets foot into Ras Hotel building, one realizes that there are tremendous opportunities of modern and traditional cousins, lodgings-bed rooms and suites, to create comfort for its customers and make them feel very much at home; the situation that makes them be anxious to know the origin of such rare beauty of the blend of the modern and traditional services. One can find nothing in the hotel for one’s dissatisfaction. It appears the whole scenario is organized and prepared as if everything was done in consultation with the unforeseen future visitors.

In its efforts to reveal the years-long hidden beauty of Ras Hotel to the public, Herald had the privilege of interviewing Ato Getu, one of the leading figures of the hotel. Ato Getu is an amiable person of gallant stature, whose physique depicts his managerial capability the moments anyone sets eyes on him. The interview proceeded smoothly as follows.

Herald: Ato Getu, we greatly appreciate your willingness to give interview to Herald this afternoon.

Ato Getu: I, too, appreciate Herald to come all the way here to learn about Ras Hotel with the intention to show its audience what the hotel is all about and what its functions are. It is a kind of a possibility of lee way for the Ras Hotel in the face of the present highly competing hotel industry.

Herald: Could you kindly tell Herald your name and your responsibility in the hotel?

Ato Getu: My name is Getu Birhanu. I am the manager of food and beverage services and the legal advisor of the hotel in close cooperation with Ato Masresha Tadesse, the General Manager.

Herald: When was Ras Hotel established?

Ato Getu: It was established in1940/1948.

Herald: What are the primary services of Ras Hotel?

Ato Getu: There are many services that our hotel renders. Primarily, it has food and beverage services together with room and laundry services; essentially to sufficiently cater for the needs of our visitors. There are also supplementary ones such as wedding ceremonies, banquets, conference room, accommodation, office rent and parking lots. And there are also syndicate rooms for combination of commercial firms associated to foreword a common interest.

Herald: How important do you think are these services?

Ato Getu: To put it in a nutshell, without these, the firm is not worth calling a hotel. I believe this can readily answer your question. It is more than catering and lodging; all the aforementioned services are inclusive whatsoever. All in all, as much as the customer pays to obtain maximum enjoyment while he or she is in the hotel, it must be noted that the hotel should absolutely provide services to all the needs of the visitor equivalent to the amount charged.

Herald: What does the historical background of Ras Hotel look like?

Ato Getu: For that matter, it is a long story. The history of the hotel goes long back. The hotel is very fascinating as it was the pioneer firm to open up the Ethiopia’s hotel services, more than anything else, to foreign visitors coming to the country in those days when such things were rarely known in the country. For your information, Ras Hotel, concerning the organization of modern hotels, was the first of its kind next to Etege Taitu Hotel and long before the emergence of the other modern hotels like Hilton, Ghion and Finfine (Filwuha) hotels. Surprisingly, when Ras Hotel was first established, Mr. Frank Tauzern, a Dutch national, was the General Manager while the chef, food and beverage managers were all Ethiopians.

Herald: Was Ras Hotel establishment only for the residents of Addis Ababa?

Ato Getu: Not at all. Sooner than its establishment, Ras Hotel stretched out to different areas of the country. It was noted for its pioneering hotels and tourism development and their expansion by opening branch hotels, in and out of Addis, such as Genet hotel, Ras Grill restaurant, Ambo

 Ethiopia Hotel, Gambela Ras Hotel, Mekele (Abraha Hotel), Bishoftu , Dirdawa and Hora Ras Hotels. All of them bore the same name until the emergence of privatization.

During the time of the military junta, Ras Hotel, Geon Hotel, Filwuha Hotel and Wabi Shebele Hotel, as a chain of hotels Grouped into zones, were run by Ayat Share Company Board of Directors. Following the arrangement, Ras Hotel had seventeen branches; as it is obvious, it is needless to list them all.

Herald: Currently we are in the time when a lot of new modern hotel are coming up. Is the hotel competitive enough to thrive in the market?

Ato Getu: Precisely. Ras Hotel, through it long years of experience, has been able to maintain its rightful position in the market. During its inception years, it was designated as a three star Hotel according to the standard of the time when there was no other hotel to attain such status. As of late, for upgrading, by the initiation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a hotel professional from abroad was brought into the country and internal hotel organization reform program is underway. Akin to this, the Hotel, at present, is fast progressing to come abreast of the standard of international hotels.

Herald: What singles out Ras Hotel when it comes to catering for its visitors?

Ato Getu: The food is placed into two categories, namely, the Ethiopian traditional menu and European menu. The traditional type includes, primarily, what is known as Yenigus Irat ‘king’s supper’, most favored by both the nationals and visitors from abroad. Together with this that attracts the visitors is Yechagula Firfir ‘Honeymoon firir’.

There are a lot other sumptuous and finger-liking food items that Ras Hotel is always reputed for. European menu includes breakfast (the chilled seasonal fresh fruits juice, toasted bread/ rolls with butter and jam choices of egg (plain omelet, fried, scrambled or boiled) and several others according to the order of the customer. Lunch and supper fall in line with their varieties of menu which are rather too many to list them down in this limited space. They are all readily available to satisfy the food-yearn of the customers any time.

Herald: As of late, quite a number of hotels have entered the hotel industry unprecedentedly. Will such situation set a challenge to Ras Hotel’s strength to come up competent?

Ato Getu: It, under no circumstance, can be a challenge to the quality and capacity of the hotel. One of the ways, apart from its excellent catering, taking into account the financial power of its customers, although it serves fresh and quality foods, it fairly charges its customers. Exorbitant income at the expense of the customers has no place in Ras Hotel’s business endeavors.

Customers are always kings at Ras Hotel; this is depicted by the witnesses of the satisfied customers. Everything done in Ras Hotel is in view of the interest of the customers, no less if not more. The waiters/waitresses, room keeping and watchmen discharge their duties reasonably, properly and responsibly. Guess work is not condoned at all. They wide open their eyes and ears to see and hear the customers’ needs. They do things proactively; they do not wait until the customers spell them out. The service atmosphere is such that confidence pervades both parties – the customers and service renders throughout the hotel.

Herald: What is the daily number of customers?

On which days the number is at its highest? On which days it is at its lowest?

Ato Getu: On average, 450 customers daily dine in our hotel, but on Sundays and Saturdays the figure rises due to the wedding ceremonies and other entertaining programs. The lowest number of visitors is on Mondays and Fridays owing to several reasons.

Herald: Which food, among the many choices of your preparations, attracts most your customers?

Ato Getu: As a matter of fact, not only one as such but quite a number of food items attract our customers. Among the traditional items, yenigus irat, yechagula firfir and fasting buffet are most appealing to all. Regarding European meals, roasted lamb, Ras club sandwich and grilled fish are also favored by our customers.

Herald: Is the hotel successful in all its activities?

Ato Getu: As far as I am concerned, the hotel has attained holistic development beginning with well prepared food preparation, excellent room services, entertainments, parking lot and syndicate; of course, the well-organized staff from the CEO to the lowest echelon. Particularly the room service is such that our customers are satisfies that the income generated from it has boosted economic strength of the hotel.

Herald: What is the number of the hotel’s staff?

Ato Getu: Permanent employees are roughly 200 and as many are the contract workers. Banquet and casual workers who are paid on hourly basis, depending on the type of the work, are also many.

Herald: I thank you for your co-operation in responding to our interview unreservedly in the face of your tight work schedule.

Ato Getu: On behalf of Ras Hotel I really appreciate your desire to know about Ras Hotel. Thank you indeed!!

The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 9 February 2020

 BY JOSEPH SOBOKA

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