Jakarta hotel occupancy rates increase as riots continue

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)