Bali hotels expect influx next week<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
Several hotels in Bali said on Friday they expected an influx
\nof guests, citing soaring reservations as local tourists took
\nadvantage of next week's four-day long weekend.<\/p>\n
\"Confirmed bookings have grown significantly so our
\ndaily occupancy rate on seven consecutive days starting May 13
\nuntil May 19 will reach 100 percent,\" said public relations
\nmanager of the Hard Rock Beach Hotel in Kuta, Dedy Sasmita.<\/p>\n
The five-star Padma Hotel in Legian, Bali Hyatt in Sanur,
\nRitz-Carlton in Jimbaran and Novotel in Tanjung Benoa voiced
\nsimilar expectations.<\/p>\n
Hotel officials contacted separately said that reservations
\nfor the long weekend ensured an occupancy rate of 70 percent to
\nover 90 percent.<\/p>\n
\"The bookings are only preliminary. Local tourists have a
\ntendency to make reservations at the last minute, or they just
\nwalk in,\" said Padma Hotel's marketing communication manager
\nSophia Suzylowati. \"So we expect the number of incoming visitors
\nto increase daily.\"<\/p>\n
The four-day weekend was made possible by the government
\nshifting the Birthday Day of Prophet Muhammad holiday from its
\noriginal date of Wednesday, May 14 to Thursday, May 15, so that
\nit would be next to the Buddhist Day of Enlightenment.<\/p>\n
It will be the second time this year that the date a holiday
\nhas been changed to make a long weekend. The government plans to
\nmake eight such changes. The move is aimed at easing the slump in
\ndomestic tourism, after last year's bombing in Bali that killed
\n202 people, mainly foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
Since the terrorist attack, occupancy rates in Bali have
\nfallen to below 50 percent from 70 percent.<\/p>\n
Foreign tourists had just begun to trickle back to the region
\nwhen fear of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) broke out.<\/p>\n
Many hotels that previously focused on foreign tourists have
\nshifted their attention on domestic tourists.<\/p>\n
But unlike in Yogyakarta, where hotels have been making
\nspecial offers for the long weekend, hotels in Bali rely on
\nexisting promotion packages for domestic tourists.<\/p>\n
These are normally priced in rupiah.<\/p>\n
Hard Rock Beach Hotel is maintaining its original domestic
\npackage of Rp 650,000++ (about US$75) per night for two persons.
\nPadma Hotel is offering its cheaper Hide-Away Package for Rp
\n450,000++ per night for two persons.<\/p>\n
\"Originally we priced it at Rp 650,000. Now, we've cut the
\nprice even further to attract domestic guests,\" Sophia said.<\/p>\n
Bali Hyatt is trying to lure tourists with its Pesona Rupiah
\npackage at Rp 590,00++ per night for two persons.<\/p>\n
Luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton has a special package that costs
\nUS$135 per night while Novotel has its Holiday Package for Rp
\n1.59 million for two nights.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-hotels-expect-influx-next-week-1447893297",
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