Hoteliers seek increase in business timings

Vijayawada: The city hotel industry is urging the government to extend hotel closure time up to 12 pm from 10.30 pm. The floating population has been increasing in Vijayawada city since announcement of Amaravati as capital. It demands enhancement of restaurant timings, the hoteliers opined. They pointed out how the government allowed road side petty food courts up to 3 am for encouraging city life.  

According to the hotels association, the city hotel industry is growing from ongoing developments like construction of Amaravati capital and government functioning from interim secretariat at Velagapudi. The hotel industry is providing employment for 2,000 staff directly.

So far, nearly 1,200 rooms in lodges, 600 hotel rooms are available in city hotels. The same number of hotel rooms are available in three star hotels in Vijayawada and Guntur cities. Moreover, Rs 3,750 crore investment is expected to pour into  hotel industry in the city as per proposed and ongoing projects.

But the hotel industry is expressing displeasure over the rules and guidelines which are being imposed in the city. As per hoteliers, the hotel closure time impacts hugely on the total environment. Now the hotels in the city can open their restaurants up to 10.30 pm.

The police department starts alerting the hotels from 10 pm to close the restaurants. The situation is creating a lot of inconvenience and disadvantage to the hotel owners especially medium range hotels, said B Murali, a hotel owner.  

Andhra Pradesh Hotels Association president M Srinivasa Babu speaking to The Hans India said the people of Andhra Pradesh used to visit Hyderabad and stay in hotels to complete the government and business-related works. Now the people 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh are coming to the city and staying in hotels only, he added.

Apart from this, the city culture is changing fast as citizens prefer watching movies late in the night and spending evenings of weekends in hotels. But the early closure time has become a stumbling block to public and also hoteliers. He said that they already submitted a representation to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in this regard.

By Patibandla Srinivas