Landis Taipei Hotel (台北亞都麗緻飯店), the flagship property of Landis Hospitality Group (麗緻餐旅集團), has reported a significant pickup in room and restaurant revenues, although continuing border controls limited the scale of recovery.
“Business would grow nearly twofold this and next month, from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in February and March, when foreign travelers abruptly dropped to zero and domestic tourists stayed home for fear of infections,” communications official Tracy Lee (李明穎) said by telephone yesterday.
Occupancy rates averaged 80 percent so far in the summer, recovering from 20 to 30 percent at the 41-year-old facility on Minquan E Road, one of Taiwan’s first five-star facilities, Lee said.
Taiwan’s quick control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and assorted promotions and discount offers helped restore interest in domestic travel while the nation continues to keep foreign travelers out, Lee said.
The authorities have extended a ban on inbound and outbound travel until the end of next month due to soaring infections in most parts of the world.
Revenue from food and beverage sales almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels, after holding relatively resilient during the outbreak, Lee said.
The virus crisis has had a limited effect on Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Tien Hsiang Lo (天香樓), fine-dining Paris 1930 (巴黎廳) and more affordable La Brasserie (巴賽麗廳), thanks to their gastronomic credentials, Lee added.
Particularly, Tien Hsiang Lo, which has won one-star Michelin recognition for two consecutive years, has been popular among gourmets, she said.
Despite the improvement, revenue declines are inevitable, as border controls are set to stay in pace for a while, Lee said.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) last week said that he is seeking to extend wage subsidies by another three to six months for hotels that rely heavily on foreign travelers.
Lin asked domestic travelers to patronize star-grade facilities in northern Taiwan in the meantime.
A package featuring room rates of NT$3,999 per night with equivalent gift vouchers has proven to be most popular among clients, Lee said.
The group would maintain a conservative business approach after shutting down Landis Taichung in March and the Tayih Landis Hotel Tainan (台南大億麗緻酒店) last month, she said.
Pause Landis Resorts (璞石麗緻溫泉會館) in New Taipei City’s Wulai District (烏來) is undergoing renovation, she added.
The group has not discussed whether to further downsize after summer, Lee said.
Industry leaders have said that many hotels in Taipei could exit the market if recovery remained elusive.
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