Coming out from the lockdown, several hotels, including the 4-star hotels and 5-star hotels in Accra, are trying to thrive in a post-lockdown Ghana.

Whereas some top hotels in Accra have decided to lay low and are no longer offering buffet services, others have stayed on as it was before the pandemic, and a few have remained the same, determined to thrive as nothing happened.

A few more have also decided to reinvent themselves and do things slightly differently with their availability, or with their restaurant buffet prices.

How the Hotel Industry and the Restaurant Buffet Service is Readjusting in a covid-19 Era

The Year 2020 has been one of the toughest for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry globally due to the covid-19 pandemic that forced several countries to lockdown and enforce social distancing protocols.

Hotels have not been left out of the bludgeoning economic effect of the pandemic since travel and movement were halted to a large extent.

Even as many nations have come out of lockdown and eased travel restrictions, several industries continue to be affected to a degree that can only be determined when the health crisis is over.

However, it is possible to conjecture from a cursory overview of hotel buffet service availability, particularly for the top (four and five stars) hotels, the impact of the current socio-economic crisis.

This is because, for these hotels well known for their buffet services, a low turnout of guests to the hotels will render the buffet services largely unprofitable, and make a waste of resources allotted to running a buffet service.

Fifteen four-star and five-star hotels in Accra- some of the best buffet restaurants- will be reviewed for the purpose of this article. The buffet prices of these top restaurants will also be listed.

Hotel Restaurants in Accra with Suspended Buffet Services
Restaurants of hotels like Airport West Hotel, Tang Palace, La Villa Boutique Hotel, Coconut Grove Regency Hotel and Best Western Premier have had to suspend their buffet services.

Tang Palace, prior to the covid-19 outbreak, ran buffet services throughout the week. They are on hiatus now and intend to resume only when cases are very low.

La Villa boutique hotel also offered buffet services all week, but have suspended the service and intend to resume when the virus is no more. Coconut Grove Regency Hotel has suspended their buffet service indefinitely, and are only offering pickup and delivery services.

Prior to covid-19, Best Western Premier Hotel served buffet all day throughout the week. Their buffet service is currently suspended due to covid-19, and is scheduled to resume in November with all safety protocols observed.

Hotel Restaurants in Accra with on-Demand Buffet
Other restaurants continue to operate but have altered their availability schedule.

The African Regent Hotel resumed their buffet service in September, but only offers services for twenty persons and above.

Ibis Styles Hotel prior to covid-19 offered buffet services all day but now runs the buffet service only on Sunday afternoons.

Alisa Hotel currently only runs breakfast buffet and brunch on Sundays. Fiesta Royale Hotel resumed their lunch buffet in October, but only operate on Sundays.

Hotel Restaurants in Accra Still Operating as Pre-covid-19
Other hotels have been seemingly able to withstand the impact, at least on availability of pre-covid buffet services.

Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City’s buffet service is still operating breakfast and lunch from Mondays to Thursdays and on Saturdays and Sundays.

Golden Tulip Hotel’s buffet service is still operating every day of the week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Aknac Hotel only offered a breakfast buffet before the covid-19, and they are still operating.

For Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, buffet service is still in operation, and they operate every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Labadi Beach Hotel’s buffet service is still in operation all day, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oak Plaza Airport West Hotel was mostly operating a daily breakfast buffet before covid-19, and their service remains unchanged.

Hotels with Adjusted Buffet Prices in a covid-19 Era
A few hotels, however, have not only maintained their services, but also adjusted their prices to incentivize more customers.

Marriot Hotel continues to run its buffet services every day, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner at prices lower than what was charged before covid-19.

Accra City Hotel resumed their daily buffet service in September, with a decrease in their prices. Tang Palace Hotel intends to reduce buffet prices once they resume.

Buffet Prices at 4-Star and 5-Star Hotels Operating in Accra
Currently, breakfast buffet price is Gh¢ 189 at Kempinski; Gh¢ 150 at Marriott Hotel (on Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays, Gh¢ 190 on Fridays, and Gh¢ 170 on Sundays); Gh¢ 145 at Labadi Beach Hotel; Gh¢ 140 at Movenpick Hotel; Gh¢ 120 at Golden Tulip Hotel; Gh¢ 100 at Alisa Hotel, Oak Plaza, and The African Regent Hotel; Gh¢ 99 at Accra City Hotel; and Gh¢ 30 at Aknak Hotel.

Lunch buffet is also available for Gh¢ 209 at Kempinski (except for Sundays when it is Gh¢ 269); Gh¢ 150 at Marriott Hotel (on Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays, Gh¢ 190 on Fridays, and Gh¢ 170 on Sundays); Gh¢ 155 at Labadi Beach Hotel; Gh¢ 150 at Movenpick; Gh¢ 140 at Golden Tulip Hotel (except for buffet on Sundays when it’s Gh¢ 150), Gh¢ 140 at Fiesta Royale Hotel; Gh¢ 100 at Ibis Styles (only for Sunday buffet); and Gh¢ 99 at Accra City Hotel.

For dinner, Movenpick’s buffet price is Gh¢ 175; Labadi Beach Hotel’s buffet price is Gh¢ 165; Marriott Hotel’s buffet price is Gh¢ 150 on Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays, Gh¢ 190 on Fridays, and Gh¢ 170 on Sundays); Golden Tulip’s buffet price is Gh¢ 150; and Accra City Hotel’ buffet price is Gh¢ 99l.

The Future of the Buffet Service in Ghana in a covid-19 and post- covid-19 Era
As things are beginning to pick up worldwide, even as a few still struggle with the pandemic, it is hoped that hotel services will resume full operations, albeit cautiously and with all health and safety protocols in place.

Many of the operating hotels are already observing the safety protocols: the compulsory wearing of face masks and mandatory use of hand washing and sanitizing stations in the restaurants, and social distancing when queuing at the buffet station.

In addition, attendants are required to wear face masks.

There is no doubt that the pandemic will revolutionize the Tourism Industry just as it is doing with many other industries.

As more and more eateries transitioned to delivery and take out options during the surge in cases of the virus, it will be interesting to see how the buffet services will be readjusted to suit the current times.

For the hotel industry, health and safety training at all levels of service will be a requisite, customers will need an assurance of their safety where their food especially is concerned, and hotels and restaurants will have to find creative ways of drawing in customers, particularly through a price reduction, and intensified advertising, amongst others.