Going by the increasing room bookings this Christmas season, especially by Nigerians in the diaspora who are returning home to celebrate with their loved ones, hoteliers say pointers indicate stable room rates between $250-$300 rather than the crash at this time last year.
Indications from some top hotel brands point to increasing bookings several weeks before December which are now authenticated by guests in the
flesh. Mike Ochogo, room division manager of an international brand said the development is unusual because the Christmas period is typically a low season for the hotel business.
“Most hotel managers prefer to take their annual leave during the festive season because business is generally low. But going by what the figures are saying in our books, there are more guests to sustain good business this period. However, I do not know if it is same with other hotels”, he said.
Raphael Stinger, general manager of an international brand says the experience is nodifferent in his hotel and is surprising because he was almost traveling to join his family in Dublin when the situation kept looking positive and requiring his attention.
“I guess other hotels may not be getting as many guests as we do because most of the guests lodging here are Nigerians from United States who were
referred here because of our perfect security and personalised services”, Stinger said.
Ochogo and Stinger agreed that the room rates are looking up unusually this season because more guests are booking now and filling the supposedly empty rooms that would have resulted in the crashing of the rates.
Hospitality managers say that even in the hinterland, security is the key to business success or failure for hotels this season, as travelers are concerned for their safety, given the recent crime trends in this direction.
Olajide Johnson, a hospitality expert, says it is only hotels with adequate security that will benefit from sustainable occupancy during this low season.
“Beyond security and facilities, it is word of mouth that will give some hotels the edge over others because people who lodged in these hotels within the year have already made their assessments and are either encouraging or discouraging their friends or family from lodging in some hotels during the festive season”, Johnson said.
Johnson says social media will probably play a big role in this. Explaining the reasons for the unusual surge in occupancy in some hotels, Johnson said most Nigerians in the diaspora are taking advantage of the weak naira to visit now because if the government gets its monetary policies right, the naira may likely rise in next year.
“At about N260 per dollar, Nigeria is a cheap destination for not only Nigerians but also for foreigners now”, he concluded.
However, Ochogo hopes for a peaceful season to ensure the bookings are not cancelled.
“Yes, I pray for a peaceful celebration because any bomb blast can make lots of guests to change their mind at the ninth hour”, he said.
