Hotels, villas in Puncak see poor bookings

Theresia Sufa The Jakarta Post/Bogor

Unlike previous years, signs advertising vacancies still hung outside hotels and villas in the Puncak resort area, Bogor, on Tuesday, just two days before the post-fasting Idul Fitri celebration.

Adjat, an employee of Vila Prabu Putragus on Jl. Raya Puncak, said no room bookings had been made at the villas.

"The situation is different from last year, when all our rooms were booked out one month ahead of Lebaran. And also for Christmas and New Year. This year, all of our rooms remain unbooked," Adjat told The Jakarta Post.

Puncak is a popular place for Jakarta residents to spend their weekends and holidays. In the past, hotel rooms, villas and bungalows were always booked out prior to public holidays, including Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year.

Vila Prabu Putragus has 32 bungalows with rates ranging from Rp 500,000 (US$50) per night for a three-room bungalow to Rp 1.1 million per night for seven- to eight-room bungalows.

"Maybe the decline was caused by the high increase in fuel prices. People may prefer to stay at home rather than spend their money at a hotel or villa," he said.

The government raised fuel prices on Oct. 1, with the price of Premium soaring from Rp 2,300 to Rp 4,500 per liter and diesel fuel from Rp 2,100 to Rp 4,300.

The price increases have driven up the prices of basic commodities.

A similar comment came from Lina, an employee of Taman Safari Indonesia, which has 150 rooms, comprising hotel rooms, caravans and bungalows. Its rates range from Rp 1.1 million for three nights to Rp 4.5 million for three nights.

Lina said that last year, 75 percent of the establishment's rooms were occupied one week ahead of Idul Fitri. This year, with just three days to Idul Fitri, only 50 percent of the rooms had been booked.

She also blamed the increased fuel prices for the decline in the occupancy rate.