Jakarta hotel occupancy rates increase as riots continue

JAKARTA (JP): Massive unrest throughout the city boosted the occupancy rates of many Jakarta hotels over the past two days, as local and foreign guests sought shelter to avoid the violence- torn streets.

"Yes, it is a rather sensitive issue, but our occupancy rate has been 100 percent since yesterday (Thursday)," Sari Pan Pacific marketing communications director Satria Wira told The Jakarta Post.

Jakarta has been strife-torn, with angry mobs looting stores and setting them on fire since Thursday, two days after four protesting students were killed apparently by the Armed Forces.

Satria said some of the hotel guests consisted of locals who owned or ran businesses in the nearby commercial district on Jl. Sabang, adjacent to Jl. Thamrin where the hotel is located.

"The rioters came and looted the stores and buildings on Jl. Sabang, so these people came to seek shelter here," Satria said.

Satria said the looters had broken into some of the businesses in the building next to his hotel, but that so far Sari Pacific had not been affected. The military deployed tanks along Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman, the city's major thoroughfares, yesterday.

Hotels located in the Soekarno Hatta Airport area, have been overloaded with guests wanting to leave town since Thursday.

A front desk employee at the Sheraton Bandara said yesterday that the hotel was fully booked through next Wednesday.

Reuters reported airport hotels opened their ballrooms to accommodate people waiting to leave the city.

Foreign embassies and companies have began calling on their citizens to leave the tumultuous country, sparking a mass exodus of expatriates.

Indonesians of Chinese descent, who often become targets during social unrest, made up a large number of the outbound travelers. The ethnic Chinese make up 5 percent of Indonesia's population but account for as much as 80 percent of the country's wealth.

The Regent said it was fully occupied yesterday.

"We were 90 percent full yesterday, but today many people who were going to check out could not really leave so they stayed another night," one of the hotel's employees told the Post.

The Hilton's public relations executive, Dewi Widiyanti, said her hotel's occupancy rate rose to 80 percent yesterday from 75 percent Thursday, when the riots seriously escalated.

Dewi said the hotel only accepted walk-in guests and could no longer provide reservations since Thursday in order to accommodate those in urgent need of rooms.

Hotel Atlet Century Park, located near the Senayan sports complex, said its occupancy rate dropped yesterday to 57 percent after enjoying 80 percent the previous day.

"Many of our guests were locals who were stranded on the streets yesterday and couldn't make it home," the hotel's public relations officer, Heru Trisetyo, said.

Heru said the safety of the hotel's guests was guaranteed because armed troops had been deployed near the hotel to guard the Senayan area.

Holiday Inn Crowned Plaza also enjoyed an 80 percent occupancy rate yesterday as the riots increased fears among Jakarta's residents.

An assistant to the hotel's public relations manager, Hendra Nugraha, said several of the hotel's guests that had checked out yesterday morning returned to the hotel when they found that some of the roads to the airport were closed. (das)