Hotels turn to presales to curb effect of virus

Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, hotels are using presales to generate business and let customers know they will be operating back to normal soon with promotional offers.

"We want to stay active in the market and we are encouraging our regular customers to come and visit us once the epidemic is over," said Michael Chia, general manager of Grand Hyatt Hangzhou.

The hotel he runs is offering presales for its award-winning restaurant 28 HuBin Road, which include a new seasonal menu created by chef Colin Cheng.

"The response to our presold afternoon tea set exceeded our expectations," Chia said.

In Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Hualuxe Xi'an Hi-Tech Zone, a luxury hotel under Inter-Continental Hotels Group, is offering presales for non-contact takeout services, in addition to booking rooms, fitness sessions and catering.

"It is also worth mentioning that we offer special discounts for medical workers, to show our respect for their hard work to combat the virus," an executive from the hotel said.

In Sichuan province in Southwest China, Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu unveiled a festival selling essential goods on Thursday.

According to the hotel, products on offer are more in line with people's current needs, such as takeout food, non-contact laundry services, sterilization services and free streaming fitness classes.

Sandy Murray, general manager of Hilton Xi'an High-tech Zone, said a main concern of hotels is the expiry dates of what was sold before the outbreak.

"A small number of purchases made in advance remain unused. Considering customers may reconfirm how long they stay valid, we have given them an extension, temporarily set for April 30."

To quell guests' worry, Hualuxe Xi'an Hi-Tech Zone also offers flexible policies.

"Guests can give coupons to relatives and friends if they do not need them after purchase. We have a good refund mechanism for those asking for them," a hotel executive said.

Grand Hyatt Hangzhou in Zhejiang province has announced the extension of all e-coupons that would otherwise expire in February and March will be extended until the end of May.

"We understand the recent health concerns and travel restrictions, which have affected people's daily routines either at home or in their workplaces," Chia said. "We took this into consideration as early as January."

The current boom in hotel service presales suggests the novel coronavirus outbreak may lead to more transformational strategies within the hospitality industry, industry insiders said.

Many five-star hotels have arranged delivery services and presales via various platforms for the first time, which go beyond catering－for example, conferences and banquets, Gou Zhehao, area general manager of Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu, said.

Despite the success the hotel has had for more than a decade, Shangri-La Chengdu has a lot of work to do now. It is shifting to open up online channels, connect online and offline operations, and keep itself updated with the latest information, Gou said.

"Although the novel coronavirus outbreak has had an effect on various industries, we believe in the nation's and all sectors' strength to bounce back," Murray said. "Demand for business and travel will come back after the epidemic ends, when the spring of the hospitality industry is sure to come."