Lava Hotel ready to welcome international tourists

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 28 MAY 2022: The Le Lava Hotel at Sogi has welcomed the Government’s decision to reopen international borders in nine weeks and is ready to welcome foreign guests from abroad.

Hotel Director, Fia’ailetoa Pepe Christian Fruean told Talamua they have started to activate their marketing and sales plan to await international tourists, which they’ve been planning for a long time but was impossible due to the current pandemic.

“August is a very important month so we can see a lot of opportunities for the hotel in welcoming Samoans and tourists,” he said.

“We’re fully supportive of the Government’s initiative through STA and the Independence Committee for creating these events and attractions to attract tourists so we’re really excited and we’re concentrating on upskilling and training our employees and improving the services like developing menus and such.”

Pepe said it is really a positive step for the industry and for the Lava Hotel.

The hotel has been watching and taking directions from the Government while awaiting the reopening of borders.

One of the newest hotels in Apia that opened in April 2020, Pepe said they have faced major challenges not withstanding what the national economy has experienced due to the pandemic lockdowns.

However, they are grateful and are still operating regardless. In the last two years, Pepe said they have been finding their own partners and customers and mainly in the local market.

“Without the support of local market, we wouldn’t have been able to continue,” he said.

“We value our local market and we’ve had good support and we want to make sure that we don’t forget their loyalty to our hotel as we’ve been blessed in that area and which we will not take for granted.”

The hotel has set special rates targeting the local market when the borders open in August.

They will also be reviewing their live entertainments and other operations to cater for the expected clientele with the opening of borders and the yearlong Independence celebrations may bring.