Bali hotels expect influx next week

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Several hotels in Bali said on Friday they expected an influx of guests, citing soaring reservations as local tourists took advantage of next week's four-day long weekend.

"Confirmed bookings have grown significantly so our daily occupancy rate on seven consecutive days starting May 13 until May 19 will reach 100 percent," said public relations manager of the Hard Rock Beach Hotel in Kuta, Dedy Sasmita.

The five-star Padma Hotel in Legian, Bali Hyatt in Sanur, Ritz-Carlton in Jimbaran and Novotel in Tanjung Benoa voiced similar expectations.

Hotel officials contacted separately said that reservations for the long weekend ensured an occupancy rate of 70 percent to over 90 percent.

"The bookings are only preliminary. Local tourists have a tendency to make reservations at the last minute, or they just walk in," said Padma Hotel's marketing communication manager Sophia Suzylowati. "So we expect the number of incoming visitors to increase daily."

The four-day weekend was made possible by the government shifting the Birthday Day of Prophet Muhammad holiday from its original date of Wednesday, May 14 to Thursday, May 15, so that it would be next to the Buddhist Day of Enlightenment.

It will be the second time this year that the date a holiday has been changed to make a long weekend. The government plans to make eight such changes. The move is aimed at easing the slump in domestic tourism, after last year's bombing in Bali that killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists.

Since the terrorist attack, occupancy rates in Bali have fallen to below 50 percent from 70 percent.

Foreign tourists had just begun to trickle back to the region when fear of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) broke out.

Many hotels that previously focused on foreign tourists have shifted their attention on domestic tourists.

But unlike in Yogyakarta, where hotels have been making special offers for the long weekend, hotels in Bali rely on existing promotion packages for domestic tourists.

These are normally priced in rupiah.

Hard Rock Beach Hotel is maintaining its original domestic package of Rp 650,000++ (about US$75) per night for two persons. Padma Hotel is offering its cheaper Hide-Away Package for Rp 450,000++ per night for two persons.

"Originally we priced it at Rp 650,000. Now, we've cut the price even further to attract domestic guests," Sophia said.

Bali Hyatt is trying to lure tourists with its Pesona Rupiah package at Rp 590,00++ per night for two persons.

Luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton has a special package that costs US$135 per night while Novotel has its Holiday Package for Rp 1.59 million for two nights.