K5m expansion set for Madang Resort

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI
THE Madang Resort Hotel will spend up to K5 million to reconstruct its famous Haus Win Restaurant, which will be ready by next March.
The reconstruction work was to have been completed this year but poor shipping services to Madang, bad weather and other building delays caused it to miss the completion target.
“It is now expected to be completed by March 2012. The finished project is expected to cost K5 million,” Sir Peter Barter said, the owner of the resort, said.
Sir Peter said that a newly constructed “Kalibobo Haus Kibung” had to be “unofficially” opened for service last week to allow for work to begin on the haus win.
The Kalibobo Haus Kibung (meeting house) is an air- conditioned function room overlooking an Olympic-size pool, the harbour and islands of Krangket and Karkar in the distance.
The Haus Kibung can seat more than 200 people and another 100 along the patio. 
It is furnished with coconut furniture from Pacific Green in Fiji which is an environmentally friendly material that avoids the use of timber.
Sir Peter noted that there was plenty of coconut trees in PNG and it was a pity that real downstream processing of coconut timber was not available in PNG.
The Kibung has a bistro, which uses a radio paging device so when customers place their order, it is transmitted to the kitchen and when ready, the device given to the customer rings so they can collect their order. 
This was designed to reduce the cost of meals so they become more affordable to Papua New Guineans, said Sir Peter.
Other feature of the Kibung was a “dumb waiter” which provides the means of food being lifted from the kitchen below in the Haus Win. 
A special lift for the handicapped will also be installed next year so that disabled people would have full access to the function room.
Sir Peter said all windows were double glazed to reduce noise and improve insulation while lighting was all 24V LED lights which would remain on during power outages and reduce the consumption of electricity.  
More solar lighting had been installed throughout the 15 acres of landscaped gardens which was in line with the ultimate goal of reducing consumption of electricity.
Another feature recently announced was the inclusion of full buffet breakfast. 
“I think this is the first time this has been initiated in a hotel in PNG and it will become popular with the guests who decide to enjoy the breakfast buffet,” he said.