Hoteliers are offering cheaper rooms to beat recession, so cash in on the year of the deal
Hoteliers are offering cheaper rooms to beat recession, so cash in on the year of the deal
When the going gets tough, the tough have a sale. That's why hotels are giving up peak rates this holiday season and offering discounts instead.
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Green scene: A verdant view of the The Taj West End file pic |
Faced with a global recession, airlines and hotels alike are wooing customers with packages and deals. Expect rooms to be cheaper by 25 per cent due to the Mumbai terror attack and revised luxury tax rates.
"This is the best time to take that long vacation you have been waiting for, from ticket rates to room tariffs, it's all cheap," says David Roche, president, Hotels.com. "This year will really be the year of the deal," he says.
Tough timesu00a0
Hotel giants such as the Taj and Oberoi are trying very hard to improve occupancy. "We have seen a 10 per cent fall in average room rates due to the slowdown, and we have further discounted the fares just for the holiday season," says V V Giri, general manager, The Park.
Most five-star hotels in Bangalore are trying to get spending customers to spend more. For instance, if you opt for a spa package, you are promised whopping discounts on the next treatment. Hoteliers are hoping that the move will put things back on track and Abhay R, general manager ITC Sheraton, expects at least "a 30 per cent rise in occupancy levels this time".
There are other plans to shore up business. Like giving special attention to the food and beverage segment, bringing out a summer menu and including all-time favourites, said Abhay.
This is the first year-on-year drop in hotel room prices in the Asia Pacific region since 2004.
