Indonesian hotels announce ‘pay now, stay later’ promotions

In hopes to recover lost revenue or, at the very least, stay afloat in the midst of the outbreak 

According to The Straits Times, several hotels in Indonesia have introduced a variety of promotional deals to encourage foreign tourists to travel again and to help keep their business afloat amid the pandemic.

For instance, Hollywood-favourite five-star resort Mulia Bali is offering “stay for three nights, pay for two” and “stay for five nights, pay for three” promotions as long as prospective guests make a booking before the 15th of June. The said promotion is valid for use before December 2021.

Meanwhile, other operators are giving away discounts and gift vouchers for various activities, including romantic dinners on the edge of a cliff and floating breakfasts in private pools. These deals also come with long validity periods.

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Since the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia dropped by 87 percent in April, around 1,266 hotels have decided to close their operations, and 150,000 employees have either lost their jobs or received pay cuts. Those who did remain open are holding onto such promotions to keep their business running.

“The pandemic has really affected the hospitality sector tremendously and our resort is no exception,” said Adam Bardetta, the manager at Mulia Bali.

Paulus Totok Lusida, the chairman of Real Estate Indonesia and the adviser to the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that the occupancy rates have declined by about 90 percent and the revenue that these hotels will receive from the promotions will help ease the impact.