~FOR FOCUS ISSUE: Sunday - Sept 18 -- Hotel

~FOR FOCUS ISSUE: Sunday - Sept 18 -- Hotel

;JP;
ANPAc..r..
Hotel-business-bali

Hotel and resort industry enjoys rosier business

Rita A. Widiadana
The Jakarta Post/Jimbaran

As soon as you arrive at the Ngurah Rai International Airport,
a number of staff of the Bali Intercontinental Resort
are ready to greet you warmly, take care of your luggage and
immigration papers and escort you to a cool, luxury airport
lounge while waiting.

Within a minute a Jaguar or luxury couch is waiting for you.
If you are in a hurry, a helicopter is ready to transfer you
directly from the airport to the resort in the Jimbaran area.

Welcome to Club InterContinental Bali.

"These are our prime services to our privileged guests of Club
InterContinental, a hotel within a hotel aimed at affluent
clientele who need privacy and who enjoy royal treatment and
luxury, said Amadeo Zarzosa, general manager of Bali
Intercontinental Resort.

Club InterContinental, the premier accommodation facilities
located within the private wing of the Bali Intercontinental
Resort, has 425 air-conditioned rooms, including 84 Club
InterContinental rooms, 55 two-story loft rooms, 10 executive
suites, 10 junior suites and two presidential suites.

"The resort has received a very positive response from the
domestic and international market since it opened last year," he
said. Currently, the resort's occupancy rates are at between 90
percent and 100 percent.

"Club InterContinental and the airport arrival lounge are our
new innovations and we continue creating more innovations to
provide our guests with the ultimate experience," he added.

In the club, guests are provided with a 24-hour butler service
throughout the duration of their stay to ensure that every
possible need is taken care of.

Guests have exclusive access to the stylish Club Lounge for
all-day refreshments, sunset cocktails and late night supper. An
number of special privileges such as complimentary high speed
Internet access, daily international publications and superior
room amenities gives a new definition of the term luxury.
The resort will open the newest facility on Monday, Sept 19,
intended for Young Customers.

"We will open Club J Turtles (Kids' and Teen's Club) with the
theme turtles, where children and teenagers can learn all about
turtles and turtle preservation in their leisure time," he said.
The Club J will allow parents to leave their children fully
assisted by the Club J staff and professional child-care staff
while they are traveling across Bali.

The hotel industry in Bali almost came to a standstill
following the deadly bomb attack which hit the island in October,
2002. The industry has been struggling since then to regain
travellers' confidence with various kinds of sales promotion
programs. The impact is quite positive, as reflected by the
increase in the number of foreign visitors during the past
several months.

"Since the last three months, July, August and September, our
business has been flourishing. A similar trend is also taking
place in other hotels on the island," he said.

If this positive trend continues, by the end of 2006 or early
2007, the hotel industry in Bali would rebound to levels prior to
the October 2002 bomb attacks, Zarzosa said.

Maria Sitanggang, the director of sales of Bali Hyatt, shared
similar optimism. "Compared to last year, business is much
better. We are now heading to occupancy levels similar to the era
prior to the bomb attack," she said.

International confidence had also gradually improved. Many
European countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and
Italy have lifted their travel advisories that warned against
travel to Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia. A
similar action has also been taken by the British government.

"Europe has been our major market with around 62 percent,
followed by Japan (32 percent) and the rest is made up of
Australia, Korea and the domestic market," she said.

At present, Bali Hyatt, located in Sanur area, enjoys more
than 90 percent occupancy as compared to only 70 percent in the
same period last year.

Similarly, Wiwien Ong, the director of sales and marketing of
Bali Padma in Kuta, said that this was the turning point of the
hotel industry in Bali. "July, August, September have always been
our high season. Our occupancy rate has almost reached 100
percent," Wiwien said.

Even after the tsunami last December, guests still flocked to
Bali. Between February and April 2005, the hotel's occupancy rate
had already reached 60 percent, not too high but almost double
the average of 30 percent recorded in the previous year.

A similar business trend was seen at the Hard Rock Hotel Bali,
which caters to Australian and domestic tourists.

Dewi Karmawan, the hotel's marketing and communication
manager, said that the Hard Rock hotel, which is located in the
heart of Kuta, was fully booked on weekends.

In November, and December during the Idul Fitri and Christmas
and New Year holidays, occupancy is also expected to reach 100
percent, she said.

Despite the promising outlook, Bali must be alert over
possible disturbances including natural disasters, terrorist
activities and the spread of diseases such as avian influenza.

Bali was shaken by a bomb hoax at Kuta Paradiso Hotel on Aug.
31. But, the authorities successfully dealt with the issue and
have promised to tighten security.

Entire properties including hotels and resorts and other
tourist facilities have also strengthened their security systems.
Local hotels and tour operators, however, did not report any
cancellations or a sudden exodus of guests following the bomb
hoax.

Robert Kelsall, chairman of the Bali Hotel Association, an
organization comprising general managers of star-rated hotels in
Bali as well as professionals in the industry said the business
was on the right track

"Most hotels in Bali are currently enjoying extremely high
occupancy rates," he said, adding that the prospect for the
remainder of the September is quite positive. "Hopefully, the
positive trend will continue," Kelsall said.