~FOR FOCUS ISSUE: Sunday - Sept 18 -- Hotel<\/p>\n
;JP;
\nANPAc..r..
\nHotel-business-bali<\/p>\n
Hotel and resort industry enjoys rosier business<\/p>\n
Rita A. Widiadana
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jimbaran<\/p>\n
As soon as you arrive at the Ngurah Rai International Airport,
\na number of staff of the Bali Intercontinental Resort
\nare ready to greet you warmly, take care of your luggage and
\nimmigration papers and escort you to a cool, luxury airport
\nlounge while waiting.<\/p>\n
Within a minute a Jaguar or luxury couch is waiting for you.
\nIf you are in a hurry, a helicopter is ready to transfer you
\ndirectly from the airport to the resort in the Jimbaran area.<\/p>\n
Welcome to Club InterContinental Bali.<\/p>\n
\"These are our prime services to our privileged guests of Club
\nInterContinental, a hotel within a hotel aimed at affluent
\nclientele who need privacy and who enjoy royal treatment and
\nluxury, said Amadeo Zarzosa, general manager of Bali
\nIntercontinental Resort.<\/p>\n
Club InterContinental, the premier accommodation facilities
\nlocated within the private wing of the Bali Intercontinental
\nResort, has 425 air-conditioned rooms, including 84 Club
\nInterContinental rooms, 55 two-story loft rooms, 10 executive
\nsuites, 10 junior suites and two presidential suites.<\/p>\n
\"The resort has received a very positive response from the
\ndomestic and international market since it opened last year,\" he
\nsaid. Currently, the resort's occupancy rates are at between 90
\npercent and 100 percent.<\/p>\n
\"Club InterContinental and the airport arrival lounge are our
\nnew innovations and we continue creating more innovations to
\nprovide our guests with the ultimate experience,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In the club, guests are provided with a 24-hour butler service
\nthroughout the duration of their stay to ensure that every
\npossible need is taken care of.<\/p>\n
Guests have exclusive access to the stylish Club Lounge for
\nall-day refreshments, sunset cocktails and late night supper. An
\nnumber of special privileges such as complimentary high speed
\nInternet access, daily international publications and superior
\nroom amenities gives a new definition of the term luxury.
\nThe resort will open the newest facility on Monday, Sept 19,
\nintended for Young Customers.<\/p>\n
\"We will open Club J Turtles (Kids' and Teen's Club) with the
\ntheme turtles, where children and teenagers can learn all about
\nturtles and turtle preservation in their leisure time,\" he said.
\nThe Club J will allow parents to leave their children fully
\nassisted by the Club J staff and professional child-care staff
\nwhile they are traveling across Bali.<\/p>\n
The hotel industry in Bali almost came to a standstill
\nfollowing the deadly bomb attack which hit the island in October,
\n2002. The industry has been struggling since then to regain
\ntravellers' confidence with various kinds of sales promotion
\nprograms. The impact is quite positive, as reflected by the
\nincrease in the number of foreign visitors during the past
\nseveral months.<\/p>\n
\"Since the last three months, July, August and September, our
\nbusiness has been flourishing. A similar trend is also taking
\nplace in other hotels on the island,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If this positive trend continues, by the end of 2006 or early
\n2007, the hotel industry in Bali would rebound to levels prior to
\nthe October 2002 bomb attacks, Zarzosa said.<\/p>\n
Maria Sitanggang, the director of sales of Bali Hyatt, shared
\nsimilar optimism. \"Compared to last year, business is much
\nbetter. We are now heading to occupancy levels similar to the era
\nprior to the bomb attack,\" she said.<\/p>\n
International confidence had also gradually improved. Many
\nEuropean countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and
\nItaly have lifted their travel advisories that warned against
\ntravel to Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia. A
\nsimilar action has also been taken by the British government.<\/p>\n
\"Europe has been our major market with around 62 percent,
\nfollowed by Japan (32 percent) and the rest is made up of
\nAustralia, Korea and the domestic market,\" she said.<\/p>\n
At present, Bali Hyatt, located in Sanur area, enjoys more
\nthan 90 percent occupancy as compared to only 70 percent in the
\nsame period last year.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Wiwien Ong, the director of sales and marketing of
\nBali Padma in Kuta, said that this was the turning point of the
\nhotel industry in Bali. \"July, August, September have always been
\nour high season. Our occupancy rate has almost reached 100
\npercent,\" Wiwien said.<\/p>\n
Even after the tsunami last December, guests still flocked to
\nBali. Between February and April 2005, the hotel's occupancy rate
\nhad already reached 60 percent, not too high but almost double
\nthe average of 30 percent recorded in the previous year.<\/p>\n
A similar business trend was seen at the Hard Rock Hotel Bali,
\nwhich caters to Australian and domestic tourists.<\/p>\n
Dewi Karmawan, the hotel's marketing and communication
\nmanager, said that the Hard Rock hotel, which is located in the
\nheart of Kuta, was fully booked on weekends.<\/p>\n
In November, and December during the Idul Fitri and Christmas
\nand New Year holidays, occupancy is also expected to reach 100
\npercent, she said.<\/p>\n
Despite the promising outlook, Bali must be alert over
\npossible disturbances including natural disasters, terrorist
\nactivities and the spread of diseases such as avian influenza.<\/p>\n
Bali was shaken by a bomb hoax at Kuta Paradiso Hotel on Aug.
\n31. But, the authorities successfully dealt with the issue and
\nhave promised to tighten security.<\/p>\n
Entire properties including hotels and resorts and other
\ntourist facilities have also strengthened their security systems.
\nLocal hotels and tour operators, however, did not report any
\ncancellations or a sudden exodus of guests following the bomb
\nhoax.<\/p>\n
Robert Kelsall, chairman of the Bali Hotel Association, an
\norganization comprising general managers of star-rated hotels in
\nBali as well as professionals in the industry said the business
\nwas on the right track<\/p>\n
\"Most hotels in Bali are currently enjoying extremely high
\noccupancy rates,\" he said, adding that the prospect for the
\nremainder of the September is quite positive. \"Hopefully, the
\npositive trend will continue,\" Kelsall said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/for-focus-issue-sunday-sept-18-hotel-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}