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TRAVEL WATCH | FEBRUARY 2, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 4 |
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Now Even Asia's Top Hotels Are Cutting Prices By LEAH KOHLENBERG
Nowhere should this rule apply more than at The Oriental, which in survey after survey ranks among the world's finest hotels. But last November The Oriental lowered its top-room rates from $300 to $220 and, like more and more hotels in the region, began charging guests in U.S. dollars instead of the local currency. "What can we do?" asks Wachtveitl. "The gap between us and a good four-star hotel is enormous. They are charging 900 baht a night--that's less than $20." Even the normally resilient luxury-travel sector has caught the virus infecting Asia's faltering tourism industry. Currencies are fluctuating faster than a hotel can change its rate card. Hong Kong's worrisome chicken flu has prompted travel cancellations worldwide. Japanese, normally among the region's most prolific travelers and luxury-hotel denizens, are staying home in increasing numbers. Even the weather isn't cooperating: last year's forest fire-induced haze originating from Borneo steered sun-seeking travelers clear of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Says Steve Kleinschmidt, a hotel-industry analyst in Hong Kong: "Regionally, the luxury sector has been on a downward track, and I don't see things much improving until at least mid-1999." Five-stars have another worry: oversupply. There's already a glut, and dozens of new luxury digs are set to open this year. Even Hong Kong, where high-end hotels have long enjoyed above-par bookings, is feeling the pinch. At the territory's Mandarin Oriental, average occupancy dropped from 84% in 1996 to 76% in 1997; this year the hotel expects 72%. "What worries me is that I don't see a specific light at the end of the tunnel," says general manager Liam Lambert. "I don't see a date when this will be over." What's bad news for hoteliers is, of course, good news for travelers. In some cases, that means slashed rates: Hong Kong's Conrad Hotel, for example, is offering a package with reduced rates plus a slew of freebies, from limousine transport to laundry. A standard room with the extras costs a mere $387 (from $1,188 just weeks ago). More discount package deals are likely to be available after a mid-March conference in Berlin, at which wholesale tour operators--sure to take advantage of the tourist slump--will hammer out year-long contracts with hotels. Some high-class establishments, meanwhile, can't quite bring themselves to cut costs but are opting instead for "value added" benefits: room upgrades, lower mini-bar prices and free breakfasts, among others. "We don't do discounts," says Joanne Watkins, spokeswoman for the Shangri-La group. "Our rates reflect the quality of our hotels." Yes, but it poses an interesting philosophical question: If no one checks into an expensive luxury suite, is it still luxurious?
WEB@TRAVEL GREAT OUTDOOR RECREATION PAGES (www.gorp.com) For backpackers around the world, gorp (good ol' raisins and peanuts) is a trail staple. For outdoor adventurists online, this site is similarly essential. Travel information is arranged by activity, location and interest, and encyclopedic resources link to each page, providing everything from tips on layering for warmth to a campfire exchange of trail recipes. Although the site is sometimes U.S.-heavy, data on international tour operators and well-written travelogues make it a worthwhile excursion for any online explorer.
HOT TIP Although e-mail has become commonplace, checking messages electronically is still challenging for travelers. But with "Web-based" E-mail, you can keep in touch without lugging along a laptop. All you need is access to a computer connected to the Internet and a Web browser. To register, go to the home page of an E-mail service and ask for a password. It's usually free, and some services can retrieve E-mail from other accounts. Try www.hotmail.com, www. mail city.com or mail.yahoo.com.
KITSCH REPORT STICK WITH RYUTARO. Anyone can snap photos of Japan's big tourist attractions. But now intrepid visitors can take home a picture of themselves next to none other than Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. In a bid to boost his popularity, the P.M.'s Liberal Democratic Party has installed a purikura--or print club photo booth--at the party's headquarters in Tokyo. The booths, popular with Japanese kids, take a person's photo and then print out retouched stamp-sized pictures with adhesive on the back. In his own special purikura booth, Hashimoto's smiling face, with his trademark pompadour, will be superimposed next to your mug. Detours By STEPHEN SHORT
PRIVATE RETREAT: Taprobane is a pristine island set in Weligama Bay off the southern tip of Sri Lanka--there's nothing between it and the South Pole. Live a fairytale weekend in an octagonal 1920s palladio-style house surrounded by gardens and tended by a staff of seven, including a cook and a security guard. $350 per day. Tel: 852-2727-1999, Fax: 852-2727-6690. THE WILD SIDE: A jungle excursion awaits at the Aman resorts' hideaway on the picturesque island of Moyo, east of Lombok and Bali. Amanwana, which means "peaceful forest," has 20 opulent, air-conditioned tents--each with a king-size bed and large writing desk--set up beneath the natural canopy of tropical forest. $550 for a double. Tel: 852-2845-6711, Fax: 852-2845-5983. WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?: Manohra Cruises in Thailand offers a Valentine's Dining Celebration on a lavishly restored barge for a thrifty $20. The dinner and cocktail cruise on the Chao Phraya River takes in the Royal Grand Palace and Boathouse of the Royal Barges. An overnighter can be arranged. Tel: 662-476-0021, Fax: 662-476-1120. SAY A LITTLE PRAYER: In Taipei, many couples head for the hillside Lovers' Temple in Peitou district. The small Buddhist shrine in the residential Wellington Heights section is dedicated to couples in love or those who wish their hearts to throb a little harder. FAR OUT: In Mongolia, the local Rotary Club holds its annual Valentine's Day Dance in Ulan Bator, the capital, at the state-run Ikhtenger hotel. Tickets start at $50, and the proceeds help the homeless. Contact: 976-1-327-879.
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ive star hotels, like the guests who frequent them, are not
accustomed to begging. "There are always people who have money,
and these people will come to luxury hotels," declares Kurt
Wachtveitl, general manager of The Oriental in Bangkok.
HE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE. Feb. 14 is Valentine's Day, a
celebration that is Western in origin but which has spread like
wildfire throughout much of Asia. A few suggestions on where to
take your lover this year: