Above: Champaigne cocktails were on offer for guests at the official opening of the Ramada Encore Hotel in Dandenong.Above, left: Performing the official duties at the opening were, from left, Alex Ong and Alfred Sung, both directors of Phileo Australia, Ramada Encore general manager Ed Davis, special guest performer Lisa Edwards, tourism minister and Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos and Phileo director Rudi Koh.Below: Lisa and Grant CoultmanSmith from Bayer Australia were among the many business people at the opening of Ramada Encore on Monday night.Left: Jess Ewing from Ramada Encore takes Sue Rickards, Helen McLean and Graeme Rickards on a tour of the hotel. Singer Lisa Edwards performed at the grand opening of the Ramada Encore Hotel. Hotel general manager Ed Davis and guests were most impressed.By Nathan Johnston
RAMADA Encore Hotel in Dandenong has enjoyed a betterthananticipated opening month of business.
Client numbers and their length of stay has been beyond expectations, according to Dandenong MP and tourism minister John Pandazopoulos, who helped officially open the international hotel at a function on Monday night in front of local business leaders and guests.
He said the 108 room hotel, featuring conference and meeting facilities, a café and bar area and a gym was already proving to be a boon for local tourism and employment in Greater Dandenong.
“The opening of Ramada Encore in Dandenong will have a significant impact on economic activity in our local area, and formally brings Dandenong into the tourism industry,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
“It will help us attract more business travellers and business events, which represents almost 10 per cent of Victoria’s $10.6 billion tourism industry.
“To become a viable tourism destination for business and leisure travellers, Dandenong has needed additional quality accommodation.”
Phileo Australia, owner of the former Holden site in Dandenong, bought the former Telstra building in McRae Street, bringing the Ramada Encore brand to Dandenong.
While it’s not the first Ramada Hotel in Australia, it’s the first Ramada Encore to be built outside of the United Kingdom.
Phileo Australia director Rudi Koh said it was also the business’ first hotel project.
“Throughout the design phase we thought about what a corporate traveller looked for in a hotel, and we’re confident that it’s everything in this Ramada Encore Hotel,” he said.
“We’re happy and proud to bring it to Australia.”
He said Phileo Australia had enjoyed a strong relationship with the City of Greater Dandenong since it first invested in the municipality in 1997.
“It’s a prodevelopment council, which has helped Phileo become part of the life in Dandenong,” Mr Koh said.
Hotel general manager Ed Davis, who has managed major international hotels throughout the world, described the facilities at Ramada Encore in Dandenong as “cutting edge”.
“This is unique to the corporate visitor market, and offers the modern facilities travellers are looking for today,” Mr Davis said.
