Last-Minute Booking Trend Opens New Opportunities for Whiz Prime Hotel Malang

MALANG - The trend of last-minute hotel room bookings is increasingly evident in the hospitality industry. This situation poses a challenge while also opening new opportunities for business players, particularly in formulating marketing and service strategies. Sales Marketing Manager of Whiz Prime Hotel Basuki Rahmat Malang, Dika Ardiansyah, stated that the hotel occupancy trend this year has changed compared to the previous year. “The occupancy trend this year has declined compared to the previous year,” Dika told the Merapah Trans-Jawa 2026 team on Thursday (19/03/2026). Whiz Prime Hotel Basuki Rahmat Malang provided support to the Merapah team by accommodating them for one night. He explained that the pattern of room bookings ahead of the Lebaran holiday period has also shifted. Previously, bookings were busy well in advance, but now the increase occurs closer to the holiday. “Room bookings ahead of Lebaran are usually still quiet, rising noticeably from D-Day to D+5,” he said. “The guest profile has changed; usually dominated by East Java ID cards, but around Lebaran like this, guests typically come from distant areas like Jakarta, Sumatra, and others,” he added. To attract guests, the hotel is presenting several special offers during the Lebaran period. This year, for example, the hotel provides various additional benefits for staying guests. “Every year we provide additional benefits for guests staying, such as this year we offer Lebaran cookies for those checking in on Lebaran Day and our breakfast menu with a Lebaran theme like complete ketupat,” Dika said. Nevertheless, the last-minute booking trend presents its own challenges for the hotel industry. According to Dika, the ease of accessing room bookings makes guests tend to delay reservations until close to the stay date. He assessed that this condition requires hotel industry players to be more adaptive in managing sales strategies and enhancing service appeal to remain competitive amid changing consumer behaviour.