Bengaluru hotel rooms sold out in busy February

Over 50,000 hotel rooms in Bengaluru have been sold out to accommodate guests flying into the city for events such as India Energy Week, G20 meeting, and the Aero India show.

Confirming this to DH, P C Rao, president of Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), said most hotels in the city have no rooms available. "Five-stars and above in the city are completely booked," he said. A few rooms may be available in some three-star hotels, and these may follow a dynamic pricing model, he added.

Hotel room prices have also seen a hike. However, they are a reflection of seasonal hikes and a buoyant market, said a source from a five-star hotel. "Most hotels in the city follow a dynamic pricing strategy. So if the demand increases, prices go up accordingly," said a source, adding that those rates are based on revenue and inventory management which take precedence over occupancy rates.

According to data shared by the BBHA, three periods in February have been regarded as blackout dates — February 6 to 8 for India Energy Week, February 13 to 17 for Aero India, and February 15 to 18 for Stona 2023 (a granite and stone fair).

Blackout dates indicate periods where special discounts and promotional rates are put on hold as there is an increased demand for rooms which sell out very quickly. During these dates, as rooms sell out, the rates for available rooms in some hotels go up to anywhere between 10% and 30% from the rack rate.

Some hotels keep a few rooms vacant to accommodate last-minute VIPs or regular customers, but even those are being sold out quickly, he added. "This situation is expected to last till February 20 at least."

Although hotel reservations see an uptick every year around this time — due to the air show and other seasonal activities — the surge in bookings this time around was a little higher than usual due to several events happening simultaneously, he noted.

A representative from a five-star hotel in the Central Business District confirmed there were no rooms in their hotel, but clarified that it wasn't a direct result of the events in the city. “A more direct impact of G20 meet and India Energy Week is being felt in hotels located in north Bengaluru. Therefore, hotels in central and South Bengaluru have more bookings from the corporate crowd and are thus sold out," the representative said.