The Case of Kunta Hotels Part 2 – Hurdles Accessing the Past – In this installment, the project aimed to analyze hotel performance metrics from 1984 to 1989. However, retrieving accurate records proved challenging due to manual record-keeping, missing files, and fragmented financial documents.
Yawa-Attah and her team faced mounting obstacles—lost ledgers, uncooperative former financial officers, and the technological limitations of mid-80s record storage. As they dug deeper, further setbacks emerged: accountants refusing to cooperate, a critical file lost in a fire, and key personnel disappearing. With deadlines looming, frustration grew, and the pressure intensified.
Despite these difficulties, a breakthrough finally came when a retired records clerk provided valuable guidance on where crucial documents might still be stored. This last hope gave them one final chance to recover the necessary data and piece together the hotel’s financial history.
For Yawa-Attah and her team, the project was no longer just about numbers—it was about reconstructing the past to shape the future of operations.
The Game of Securing Hospitality Investment
The operations room was silent, tucked away from the constant noise of traffic on the busy highway outside. Only the faint buzz of the overhead lights broke the stillness. Yawa-Attah sat across from Mr. Aanani, reviewing the finalized feasibility report that they, as Hospitality Associates, had developed for Kunta Hotels. It was thorough—detailing financial viability, market positioning, and operational restructuring and on interior decoration.
Their role had ended. Yet, Yawa-Attah wasn’t ready to stop here. She knew that numbers alone didn’t guarantee funding. What made financiers trust a vision? What transformed projections into actual investment? The process she had read about intrigued her. She had spent weeks analyzing figures and forecasting financial viability, but how did one actually convince a bank or investor to believe in the projections and finance a project? She wanted to understand—she wanted to see firsthand how financial negotiations unfolded.
ACDP, the multinational firm serving as Kunta Hotels’ funding advisory group, would now take responsibility for securing financing, whether through banks, private investors, or structured financial agreements.
“What happens next?” Yawa-Attah asked, her curiosity growing and leaning forward. “How does ACDP make financiers believe in such projects?” Mr. Aanani studied her for a moment before replying. “Numbers tell a story, but convincing people to believe in them takes something more. I’ll introduce you to ACDP’s lead strategist. Rephrasing, “It’s one thing to forecast success—it’s another to convince those who hold the purse strings.” He exhaled, a slow, measured breath. “I’ll arrange a meeting with ACDP’s strategist. Ask, observe, immerse yourself in it.”
Days later, she found herself entering one towering office after another observing negotiations that felt like a battlefield. Each financial institution sought assurances; each conversation tested patience. She absorbed every detail, knowing that understanding this process would shape her future. Yawa-Attah watched, listened, and realized that securing funding was more than numbers; it was about persuasion, patience, and power.
The first meeting had been brief—almost dismissive. The bank Manager barely glanced at the report before waving it aside. “Hotels take too long to yield returns,” he stated flatly. “We prefer short-term financing—commodity trading, contract-backed loans. This isn’t within our risk appetite.”
Yawa-Attah felt the words land heavily, she took a deep breath to maintain a composed expression. She had expected resistance—financiers were always cautious. Still, hearing the outright rejection triggered something deeper within her. She had heard about businesses struggling for funding, their potential overlooked by rigid financial models. She felt frustrated. Was there no space for long-term vision in banking?
As the meeting ended, she stepped out with ACDP’s financial adviser. The city pulsed around them—cars whirred past, vendors called out from street corners, and yet, in her mind, the banker’s words echoed louder than the outside world. She hesitated before speaking.
“From your experience, are there banks that specialize in financing long-term hospitality investments?” she asked, her tone measured but probing.
The adviser nodded, observing her carefully. “They exist, but they’re fewer. Most banks prefer industries with quick turnover.”
“What specific factors make hotels high-risk compared to short-term trade financing?” Her voice carried an edge of determination. If she was going to challenge the industry’s perceptions, she had to first understand them thoroughly.
The adviser smiled, pleased by her curiosity. “Uncertain cash flow. Hotels rely on steady occupancy rates, which fluctuate based on seasonality, economic conditions, and competition. Unlike commodity trading, where goods are bought and sold quickly, hospitality revenue builds over time.”
Yawa-Attah crossed her arms, exhaling slowly. “Would lenders find the project more appealing if funds were released gradually, based on completed stages?”
“That’s actually an approach we’re considering,” the adviser admitted. “Banks like structured repayment schedules with measurable progress markers. It reduces uncertainty.”
Watch out to see how the story unfolds next week.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.