Beachside hotel readies to reopen: Stamford Grand Glenelg prepares for its first guests in six months
It’s cut a sad figure on the foreshore since coronavirus forced it to shut its doors six months ago, but the iconic Stamford Grand will not stand dormant much longer.
SA News
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Veteran hotelier Hani Daher has made a career out of opening new hotels but six months ago he was faced with an unenviable first, forced to close the Stamford Grand at Glenelg, when the state went into COVID-19 lockdown.
It was a heartbreaking juxtaposition to the highs experienced opening nine hotels around the globe over two decades, including most recently the Sheraton in Melbourne, the Ramada in Port Vila Vanuatu and the Radisson Blu in Congo.
“I specialise in opening new hotels and never would I have thought I would be closing one,” the hotel general manager said.
“It was really devastating.
“The most difficult part was having to stand down staff, we were lucky the Government stepped in with JobKeeper otherwise I can’t imagine what the damage would have been.”
The 15-storey hotel, opened more than a quarter of a century ago, has been shut since March 31, cutting a sad figure on the Glenelg foreshore.
It will reopen next Saturday, several weeks after its sister hotel, the Stamford Plaza on North Terrace in the city, welcomed back its first guests post the pandemic shutdown.
Mr Daher said 80 per cent of staff would be back on deck when the hotel opens, albeit in a reduced capacity.
“Just thinking about it, I get emotional … it is going to be a good day for everyone,” he said.
“We always took our time because we had in the back of our minds, ‘when we do open. we want to remain open’.
“This is why we are making sure every step we take is a step in the right direction.”
Mr Daher acknowledged challenges remained for the hotel sector, including closed international and interstate borders and a hold on corporate travel.
Initially only the Grand Bar will open beyond the accommodation offerings.
“We are nowhere yet clear, we still have no vaccine, we still don’t know what will happen with the COVID, there is still a lot of uncertainty,” he said.
“But we are going to open and we are going to stay open.”
Mr Daher said “significant” investments had been made in maintenance and repair work while the hotel was closed, including installing a “million dollar” new cooling and heating system with new airconditioning throughout and the resurfacing of the rooftop pool.
“The team hasn’t stopped working,” he said.
“There has been a lot of painting in the public areas, guest corridors and lobbies, and we’ve put a new roof on our swimming pool balcony.”
While some rooms had been given a facelift, Mr Daher said enhanced safety and hygiene protocols were immediate priorities.
The Jetty Road Mainstreet Committee is welcoming reopening of the beachside hotel, to help boost visitation to the area ahead of summer.
“Jetty Road Mainstreet is excited about the reopening of Stamford Grand Adelaide Resort after the renovations that have taken place over the last few months,” chairman Con Maios said.
“We look forward to inter and intra state tourists having the option once again to stay at Glenelg’s premier seaside resort.”
