F&B, MICE take center stage in Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport's growth strategy

Dhaka : Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport is positioning its food and beverage (F&B) portfolio and expansive MICE facilities as the twin pillars of its strategy to stand out in the capital's increasingly competitive hospitality market.

Ashwani Nayar, Area General Manager for IHG South West Asia and Cluster General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport and InterContinental Dhaka Airport, shared this while talking to The Bangladesh Monitor at the property's premises recently.

Prime address near airport

Nayar said the 284-room property has positioned itself as a luxury and lifestyle hotel in Dhaka's premium segment. Its proximity to the airport, alongside Centrepoint Mall and the United Convention Centre, offers a unique proposition that few global cities can replicate near an airport.

Ashwani Nayar

He compared the integrated complex to similar setups in Dubai, noting it sits close to prime commercial spaces occupied by RMG and other key sector companies. He added the hotel intends to add a new chapter to Dhaka's hospitality landscape, setting standards he expects competitors to aspire toward.

Diverse dining concepts

The Mosaic, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant led by Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Romano K., anchors its F&B offering. House of Han, a new Chinese specialty restaurant, serves Sichuan and Cantonese dishes along with Chongqing hot pot, cuisine still uncommon in the city.

Within House of Han, ten private dining rooms offer tasting menus, degustation experiences, and bespoke dishes crafted for individual guests.

Connexions Lounge in the lobby serves coffees, teas, and light bites in a space designed for informal meetings. Aqua Lounge by the pool overlooks the runway, ideal for sundowners and evening relaxation.

Nayar credited the hotel's "Glocal Chefs" team for the strength of its F&B program, describing them as chefs with global training and vision who also bring deep expertise in local ingredients and produce.

Progressive Bangladeshi cuisine

Nayar noted the hotel is developing what it calls progressive Bangladeshi cuisine, a concept nearly four years in the making that aims to adapt local flavors for international audiences without losing authenticity.

The concept is not yet on regular menus, he said, adding that the hotel is working with industry peers to build critical mass around the idea globally, rather than pursuing it alone.

He claimed domestic guests now expect international-quality dining without traveling abroad, a shift he has observed over recent years. International guests, he mentioned, are increasingly recognizing the strength of Bangladesh's culinary offerings. The hotel's "The Feast Without Equal" festival has drawn repeated sellouts.

Banqueting, convention strength

Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport's Celestial Ballroom spans 9,700 square feet and seats around 550 guests. Next door, the United Convention Centre adds roughly 52,000 square feet, including an 18,000-square-foot pillarless hall with a 29-foot ceiling and a 10,000-square-foot pre-function area.

Combined with the upcoming InterContinental Dhaka, the complex will offer over 100,000 square feet of banquet and convention space, which Nayar said would make it the largest such facility in the city, more than double the capacity of any competing Dhaka hotel today.

He added the 12-acre secure complex, with around 1,750 parking spaces, functions as a private haven for events and allows the property to pursue international conventions previously out of Dhaka's reach.

Eyeing regional MICE hub

Nayar expressed Dhaka's upcoming third airport terminal could position the city as a global aviation hub, given its geographic location between eastern and western markets.

He expects the hotel's proximity to the airport to become a bigger advantage once the terminal opens, drawing airline crew, corporate travelers, and diplomatic guests.

New guest experiences ahead

Upcoming plans include a transient stay package allowing guests to book rooms for six hours with hourly extensions, aimed at transit travelers who no longer need to pay for a full 24-hour stay.

The hotel is also finalizing a Memorandum of Understand-ing with United Medical College and Hospital to support medical tourists seeking executive health checks, combining accommodation with checkup logistics under one roof.

Golf packages with a partner course are in development for long-staying guests, alongside tailored offerings for NRBs in the UK, US, and Australia.