Delhi-NCR hotels are reporting a surge in bookings since the weekend curfew has been imposed in the Capital. Domestic customers are booking staycations to unwind in a hygienic, luxurious space over the weekend.
Bored of staying indoors most of the time owing to the current Covid-19 scenario, many Delhiites are taking to weekend staycations at city-based hotels to unwind away from home, but safely.
“My family and I love to chill on weekends. I work from Monday to Friday at home, and whenever it’s safe to go out, we do step out because spending weekends in the same space gets monotonous,” says Yuvraaj Singh, an analyst based in Surajmal Vihar, adding, “Last weekend, we went for a staycation to a city hotel. There was such heavy discount and we got a great deal. During our stay, we watched movies, slept in late, ordered in, took a tonne of posey images for social media, and had a good time in general.”
Many like Singh have been spending their weekends at neighbourhood hotels. And hotel managements confirm that there is a surge in booking from locals. “Our bookings increased by about 10% on the weekend curfew, despite in-hotel restros, spas, pools not being operational. Over the last weekend we had 90% occupancy. More than two-thirds of the guests were coming from Delhi and adjoining areas only, to spend a leisurely weekend,” says Himanshu Trivedi, director, Revenue, Radisson Blu Plaza. And Simmi Sood, marketing manager, from the same hotel adds, “People are especially enjoying the in-room dining to the fullest, with bento boxes of Asian, Continental and Indian cuisines being a popular and affordable order in.”
Sumit Gogia, general manager, Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi Airport Highway, shares this trend is helping hotels stay afloat during this wave. “Indeed it’s a definite trend which is fetching revenue for the hotels during these trying times. We have witnessed 20-25% increase in bookings during weekend curfew. People are booking staycations as they know we are strictly following all the sanitisation process and are safe to stay. They’re more inclined to book during weekends as it helps them to relax and get over their monotonous routines, We’ve recently developed a kids area for this kind of a customer base as well,” he says.
“With most of the entertainment and socialising zones shut due to curfew restrictions, five-star hotels have become an ideal choice for the guests owing to high safety standards and availability of personal space,” says Shuvendu Banerjee, general manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, adding, “Over weekends we have witnessed a constant demand for staycation packages with an average stay tenure of 2-3 days.”
In fact, Banerjee adds that people are looking to celebrate special occasions during their staycation. “The current clientele comprises millennial who are looking out to break the monotony associated with work from home regime, and wish to unwind with their friends and loved ones. Our chefs have therefore done a special menu for our in-room dining services by introducing delectable combos and snacking options at lucrative prices keeping in mind the preference and lifestyle of the guests. A lot of queries have also flown for special birthday and anniversary surprises where the common concern has been on how to make it special for their loved ones when the entire city is literally shut. Our chefs are working with these guests, to offer them wow experiences in terms of themed in-room dining experiences and assisting these guests to cook or bake something special for their partners in the kitchen premises which could turn into a pleasant surprise.”
