The idea of a good quality product at a cheap price is, generally, rare, so most people in Zimbabwe usually opt for the latter at the expense of the former to secure financial stability well after exercising buying power.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
The utopian combination of juxtaposing quality and affordability is virtually hard to achieve everywhere, including the tourism and hospitality sector, which seemingly attracts only the affluent.
Arguably the largest hospitality group in the country, Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) is, however, conversely prepared to strike a balance while not compromising service delivery.
The group which runs six hotels in the country adheres to values of vibrancy, consistency, integrity and freshness, among others.
From the initial entrance at their receptions, one is met with refreshing greetings by smartly dressed personnel who are friendly and exude a heartwarming ambiance.
Over the years, many may have known RTG hotels for hosting conferences, workshops or even showbiz events, but some could not have had the chance to actually check in and spend an entire night in the rooms.
Although the hotels still had the foreigners’ appeal over the years, domestic tourism had plunged to disappointing levels until recently when they introduced lower weekend rates at their facilities.
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The weekend rates, pegged at $69, $49 and $39 for Rainbow Towers, Kadoma Hotel & Conference Centre (KHCC) and New Ambassador Hotel, are much affordable for locals.
Those who have had time to spend a night can attest that the feeling is indeed surreal and exceptionally exclusive to the group’s facilities.
Meanwhile, to further boost the experience, RTG has invested almost $2 million in refurbishments of three hotels namely Rainbow Towers, New Ambassador Hotel and KHCC.
A total of 180 rooms at the 340-roomed Rainbow Towers have been refurbished, including a change of furniture and linen.
This facelift, which also includes upholstery, has also seen the installation of new guest service lifts which will be finished by December.
New Ambassador Hotel, which has also gone under the same process, has so far witnessed an increase in its occupancy rates since last year.
KHCC is also undergoing refurbishment which will be completed next year. So far, 40% of the bedrooms at the Kadoma-based hotel have been installed modern air-conditioning systems and new contemporary furniture as well as linen. The mini bars are also going through transformation.
Speaking during a recent media tour, Rainbow Towers general manager Trythings Mutyandasvika said their recent move to cut weekend rates was inspired by a will to give many locals a chance to appreciate the extraordinary feeling.
“The aim was to make the product available to every Zimbabwean. They just won’t dream about it, but actually they would enjoy the experience,” said Mutyandasvika.
