In the past, it sufficed to tell someone you passed the night in Mont Febe hotel in Yaounde, in Ayaba in Bamenda, La Benoue in Garoua, Mansa Hotel in Bertoua, or Parliamentary Flats in Buea and that person will quickly understand one’s status.
Any government official who visited the university town of Dschang without spending a night in Centre Climatique de Dschang qualified his mission as incomplete and even unaccomplished. The reason is simple; these government hotels provided the comfort of outstanding quality. In fact, the mere mention of their names took minds to a place with an intimate and charming atmosphere, high quality comfort characterised by good food, welcoming rooms with hot and cold water as well as all their accessories, good cool music, good quality services and all that it takes to stay in a hotel.
The story is told differently today. State-owned hotels have become a laughing stock. Their names make no heart to “jump.” They have been completely eclipsed by privately owned hotels. Government officials themselves are finding it difficult to take rooms in them. Many get lodged in private hotels, for these hotels that once enjoyed the monopoly of fame have lost their steam. One of the saddest images is coming from Centre Climatique de Dschang that has completely lost its past glories. The roof is dilapidated, water has stopped flowing in most rooms and some chairs have broken down. In fact, the whole environment looks deserted. What a sorry situation. In some of the State-owned hotels, report talked of cockroaches invading rooms.
The situation may be taking a different turn soon; how soon is soon, is the question. Going by the Director of Touristic Enterprises at the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, a rehabilitation project is already in the pipeline. This certainly is good news but celebrating it now when the project hasn’t takeoff may be too early considering the fate of many announced projects in Cameroon. What is important to note is that something is in process and this is very important when one considers that Cameroon is now a tourist destination. Ayaba hotel that had lost its credibility regained its prominence during celebrations to mark 50 years of the armed forces. Government officials who had fled the hotel are proud to be back. It has regained its pride as the only State-owned hotel in the city.
As the country awaits the project to repair government hotels, fears abound as to how much this would take in terms of financing. Already, the figure advanced for rehabilitating the Centre Climatique de Dschang alone is to say the least frightening. According to the Director of Touristic Enterprises, the first estimate stands at FCFA eight billion. This sounds colossal and if one were to multiply this by the number of government hotels in the country, it will certainly be a figure mouths will not like to pronounce. Whatever the case, the bells of rehabilitation are already ringing and ringing so hard that the authorities need not give death ear any longer. But those commissioned to do the job need to be realistic in their estimates.
