Big hotels busy with packages for Ramadhan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to entice Muslim families and
\ntravelers, several big hotels have started offering attractive
\npromotional packages for Ramadhan ahead of the Muslim fasting
\nmonth that began this Monday.<\/p>\n
Most of the star-rated hotels, such as the Grand Hyatt,
\nJakarta Hilton International, Borobudur Intercontinental, Dusit
\nMangga Dua, the Acacia, and the Sheraton, will offer free sahur
\n(pre-dawn meal) and buka (evening meal to break the fast) for
\ntheir room guests.<\/p>\n
The meals, with a special daily menu during the entire month,
\nwould also be offered to non-staying guests.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post on Sunday, some of
\nthe hotels' executives and staff, however, had not yet decided
\nwhether to design special promotional packages for Christmas,
\nwhich would fall a few days prior to Idul Fitri, which marks the
\nend of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Most of the hotels focus their programs more on New Year's Eve
\neven though some of them were still in doubt over the Jakarta
\nGovernor's decision last Thursday which stated that all
\nentertainment places, including those in hotels, are to be closed
\nat certain days during Ramadhan and until three days after Idul
\nFitri.<\/p>\n
This year Idul Fitri is to fall on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28.<\/p>\n
Many hotel executives said they are currently concentrating
\nonly on offering Ramadhan packages.<\/p>\n
\"We've already received some bookings for our Ramadhan
\npackages,\" Dusit Mangga Dua's sales and promotion director Imam
\nSyafii said, referring to the packages of a superior room at Rp
\n355,000++ (US$38) for single and Rp 420,000 for double.<\/p>\n
\"On ordinary days, the price is the same but without meals,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to tantalize the appetite of its Muslim guests,
\nthe 320-room hotel would provide three different menus for the
\nsahur in the Ramadhan package, which would include free entrance
\ntickets to nearby Ancol dreamland and Sea World aquarium.<\/p>\n
The hotel -- located next to the city's popular shopping
\ncenter of Mangga Dua -- also plans to hold special programs for
\nneedy people and local residents living in the area around the
\nhotel. The management, Imam said, would for example invite 100
\norphans to have their evening meal to break the fast at the
\nhotel. On another day, the residents of Mangga Dua would be
\ninvited to come to the hotel for the same purpose he added.<\/p>\n
For Christmas, some 100 orphans from the Vincentius Putra
\nfoundation would celebrate the special evening at the hotel.<\/p>\n
The five-star hotel Grand Hyatt on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central
\nJakarta, serves traditional desserts for Ramadhan, such as kolak
\n(sweet compote stewed in coconut milk and sugar) and cendol (a
\ncold drink with rice-flour droplets in coconut milk) for the
\nprice of Rp 50,000 (US$5.3)++.<\/p>\n
\"To have a complete buffet dinner, customers should add
\nRp 120,000++.<\/p>\n
\"For Christmas, we'll only prepare the usual buffet for the
\nprice of Rp 250,000++, while for New Year there will be a half-
\nhour show by Krisdayanti in the lobby and a special room rate of
\nbetween $201 and $231 net,\" she added.<\/p>\n
A sales employee at Borobudur, Nunik, said her hotel offered
\nits superior room plus a buffet for two for sahur at Rp
\n600,000++.<\/p>\n
\"But it's only for Dec. 23 until Jan. 1,\" she said.<\/p>\n
A Hilton employee, Solehad, said that during the fasting month
\nthe Hilton along with several hotels in the capital will hold the
\nevening prayer of taraweh (Ramadhan evening prayer) and invited
\nfamous preachers to give the sermon.<\/p>\n
\"The hotels will take it in turns to conduct the evening
\nprayer and each hotel will hold the prayer at least once during
\nthe month. But, we have yet to receive the schedule for it,\"
\nSolehad said.<\/p>\n
Sheraton Hotel near the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
\ntried to attract guests by offering a special room rate of Rp
\n425,000++, which would include sahur.<\/p>\n
\"For buka, we'll have special desserts at Rp 55,000++ every
\nday. For New Year, we will only hold a golf tournament on Jan.
\n1,\" a hotel employee said.<\/p>\n
The four-star Acacia Hotel, on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central
\nJakarta offer a special room package of Rp 260,000 including a
\npre-dawn meal for two persons.<\/p>\n
\"The package will start on Monday until New Year. We have not
\nyet scheduled any other special event for Christmas or for New
\nYear,\" the hotel sales officer, Devi said.<\/p>\n
Shangri-La Hotel has yet to schedule any special package for
\nRamadhan or Christmas and New Year's eve.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe we will decide the schedule on Monday,\" the five-star
\nhotel staff said. (dja\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/big-hotels-busy-with-packages-for-ramadhan-1447893297",
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