Guests returning slowly to Bengaluru's luxury hotels

Weddings and staycations are buoying up Bengaluru’s luxury chains

Business is picking up for high-end hotels and fine-dine restaurants in Bengaluru, although they are still a long way from pre-Covid volumes.

With restrictions continuing on international travel, five-stars hotels have shifted their focus to domestic customers. Hotels were averaging 80 per cent occupancy when 2020 began and have experienced a full year of dull business.

“Immediately after the lockdown we had only seven per cent occupancy. For December we forecast an occupancy of 20 per cent,” says Subhankar Bose, general manager, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel.

The hospitality sector began experiencing the impact of the pandemic from the second week of February, with a wave of guest cancellations.

Many luxury hotels remained almost empty, but the ITC chain welcomed quarantining guests. “Before hotels officially opened in June, our occupancy was driven by Indians arriving by the Vande Bharat flights and seafarer ships,” says Manas V Krishnamoorthy, general manager at ITC Windsor, Bengaluru. Long-stay guests continued to stay on during the lockdown.

Gaurav Sinha, director of operations, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, says a major part of the group’s accommodation revenues come from staycation packages.

That is something other hotels have seen as well. As Krishnamoorthy puts it, “With ‘drive-in’ holidays becoming more popular than ‘fly-in’ holidays, hotels are seeing significant packed-out weekends.” For Renaissance, staycations have not looked as attractive as weddings. “All auspicious wedding dates so far have been booked,” says Bose.

ITC hotels have seen a rise in demand for weddings and private events. Leisure travel has resumed partially. Work-from-home groups are booking day packages.

Hotels are receiving increased requests for honeymoon packages. Relatives are gifting special getaway packages to couples. Many hotels have renewed the focus on food and beverage. ‘Marriott on Wheels’ has capitalised on the demand for home delivery and takeaway.

Dine-ins have still not touched pre-Covid numbers for fine-dine restaurants. ITC says the number of guests is rising, and expects the trend to continue due to the festive season. Many restaurants have changed their layout to ensure safe distancing and contactless ordering and billing.

Deals aplenty

Hotels are offering deals to encourage guests to go back.

• JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru offers discounts for extended stay and advance purchase packages stretching to March 2021.
• ITC has a ‘100 % offer’ which allows guests to redeem 100 per cent of their room booking payment as hotel credits for use across restaurants, bars, spas and salons. They are also offering medical practitioners special discounts, including 50 per cent off on rooms.
• Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel’s latest package called ‘Super Saver Holiday’ runs from December 15 to January 11 and is meant for family staycations.