Hotels expect 100% occupancy

Kochi: This Onam, city hotels expect to have full room occupancy. Already 60% to 70% of rooms in many of the hotels have been booked for Thiruvonam day. “As it is a long weekend, people are travelling a lot. This is a trend we have been seeing after Covid. No one wants to sit at home during holidays,” said Kerala Travel Mart secretary Jose Pradeep.

“We also expect a good number of walk-in guests,” added Pradeep. Hospitality industry insiders said that they have not increased the room rent though the demand is high. According to them, while majority of those who have booked the rooms are Malayalis from other districts, there is also an inflow of domestic tourist groups, especially from Gujarat and Maharashtra, who want to enjoy the Onam celebrations in the state, along with a small proportion of people who travel for business. “Families from north Kerala and neighbouring districts come down to Kochi during Onam to enjoy and visit the malls and cinemas. While almost 70% of the total hotel bookings are made by locals, another 20% are tourists from other states. During other times, maximum booking is by those who come to the city for business purposes,” said Association of Approved and Classified Hotels of Kerala (AACHK) former president Riaz Ahmed.Meanwhile, to cater to the guests, hotels are organizing special events throughout the day on Thiruvonam besides sadhya.“We have organized games like Pulikali, Thiruvathirakali, Vadamvali (tug-of-war), etc. This will provide lots of photo opportunities too,” said Kerala Hyatt Hotels director (marketing) Shana Ninan.