Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport bets on integrated hospitality as city's travel demand surges


Dhaka : Three months after opening its doors,
Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport is positioning itself as more than another luxury
hotel entering Bangladesh's growing hospitality market. According to Ashwani
Nayar, Cluster General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport and
InterContinental Dhaka Airport, the property is designed as part of a much
larger integrated destination that could reshape how international travelers,
airline crews, event organizers, and business delegates experience Dhaka.
"We opened towards the end of January or early February this year. It has been three months now and the experience has been wonderful," Nayar said in an exclusive interview with The Bangladesh Monitor. "The market has responded very favorably to us, both for accommodation and food and beverage. The product and service have been very well accepted."
Ashwani Nayar
Located adjacent to the capital's Hazrat
Shahjalal International Airport, the 284-room Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport is the
first hospitality component of the sprawling United Terminal Complex, a
mixed-use development that combines hospitality, retail, convention facilities,
and commercial space in a single integrated destination.
One-stop destination
For Nayar, the hotel's biggest differentiator
is not merely its proximity to the airport but the ecosystem surrounding it.
"Once you come inside the complex as a whole, what you experience is something very similar to a lot of metropolitan cities across the world," he said. "It is a composite, well-integrated facility that offers not only hospitality but multiple lifestyle options."
Mosaic offers int’l dining experience with live cooking stations
The development already includes the newly
opened Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport, a large convention center, a retail mall,
and commercial office towers occupied by international corporations and garment
buying houses. An InterContinental Dhaka Airport is also under construction
within the same complex.
The retail component, Centrepoint, includes
high-end shopping, dining outlets, entertainment facilities, and a Star
Cineplex.
Combined with landscaped public spaces, business facilities, and convention infrastructure, he believes the development creates a unique proposition not previously available in Bangladesh.
Spacious suites blend modern luxury with views of the airport
"It is like a one-stop solution. Only
major cities around the world can proudly boast of having such a facility, so
well located near an international airport while simultaneously serving the
city."
New face for Crowne Plaza brand
Beyond its location, Nayar sees the hotel as
representing the evolution of the Crowne Plaza brand itself.
Traditionally recognized as a business and
meetings-focused hotel brand, Crowne Plaza globally has increasingly
repositioned itself toward lifestyle-oriented hospitality. Nayar said, the
Dhaka Airport property reflects that transformation.
Guests entering the property are greeted by
soaring ceilings, expansive public areas, and contemporary design elements
intended to create what Nayar described as a distinctly international
atmosphere.
Targeting corporate travel, airline business
As Bangladesh continues to attract
international investment across manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure,
and development sectors, Nayar expects corporate travelers to remain the
hotel's core customer base.
Recent infrastructure improvements are also helping strengthen the property's competitive position. The elevated expressway and metro rail network have significantly improved connectivity across the capital, making access to different parts of the city faster and more predictable.
Flexible meeting spaces cater to corporate events and semimars
The airport location also makes the property
attractive for airline crews and aviation-related business travel.
"For airline crews, our complex becomes a
one-stop solution. They have accommodation, shopping, dining and entertainment
all in one place."
Betting big on MICE
A significant pillar of the hotel's strategy
centers on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
Nayar believes the integrated facilities within
the United Terminal Complex could significantly enhance Dhaka's ability to
attract large-scale international events.
The development includes what he described as
the city's largest indoor convention facility, spanning approximately 18,000
square feet, alongside multiple event spaces capable of accommodating between
100 and 2,000 participants.
Within Crowne Plaza itself, event
infrastructure includes a nearly 10,000-square-foot ballroom and multiple
meeting rooms.
"When you combine the convention center,
the meeting facilities, the hotel's 284 rooms and the upcoming InterContinental
with another 251 rooms, it becomes an automatic attraction for MICE and event
organizers," Nayar said.
He believes the development will not only
capture a share of existing events taking place in the capital but also
stimulate entirely new demand by enabling larger and more sophisticated
international gatherings.
Culinary destination in its own right
Food and beverage are emerging as another major
focus area.
Among the property's standout offerings is its
all-day dining restaurant featuring what Nayar described as one of the
country's most extensive international buffet concepts.
"This is the first time an international
buffet has been laid out with four live stations in an all-day dining
restaurant," he said. "The experience of discovering different food
items itself becomes part of the attraction."
The hotel has also introduced Connexions, a
24-hour duplex café and lounge concept that allows guests to work, meet, or
relax around the clock.
Adding further depth to the culinary portfolio
is House of Han, a forthcoming Chinese restaurant that will showcase Sichuan,
Cantonese and Hunan cuisines.
A particular highlight will be the introduction
of Chongqing hotpot, one of China's most popular communal dining experiences.
"It will have ten private dining rooms
where six to forty people can comfortably enjoy meals with family, friends or
colleagues," Nayar said.






