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JEDDAH — The rate of reservation of rooms and restaurants at four-star and three-star hotels in Makkah and Jeddah reached 70 percent while it declined to 30 percent in five-star hotels at the beginning of Ramadan when a large number of people including pilgrims visit the two cities.
Market experts attribute the drop in the reservation rate in luxury properties to a desire by people to save for the necessities of the holy month.
According to the experts, prices in five-star hotels will reach as high as SR2,000 in the last 10 days of Ramadan, when hundreds of thousands of Muslims converge on Makkah.
“Competition between star hotels has started much before Ramadan as they presented attractive promotional offers, including discounts in prices of meals,” said Adel Makki, chairman of the hospitality committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said hotel groups use this opportunity to promote domestic tourism as this year’s Ramadan coincides with the school vacation.
“They also wanted to make maximum profits during this season,” he added.
Makki said many star hotels in Jeddah and Makkah attract a large number of Saudi families. “These hotels offer iftar and suhour meals at competitive rates,” he added.
The chairman said most hotels receive Ramadan bookings weeks in advance.
“Our committee coordinates with hotels to distribute excess food in restaurants among the needy through charitable organizations,” he explained.
Hamza Al-Joaidy, general manager of Mawasim, a hotel booking pioneer, said hotels in western Saudi Arabia, especially in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah, will enjoy high occupancy rates this Ramadan.
“Reservation of hotel rooms and restaurants has been continuing since the beginning of Ramadan, especially to hold iftar and suhour parties,” Al-Joaidy told Al-Madina newspaper.
Ali Al-Sharief, an official in charge of a hotel restaurant, said many families and individuals select hotel restaurants for iftar and suhour parties for a change of environment.
Prices of iftar meals range from SR70 to SR300 per person, depending on the hotel’s standard and food quality. The price for buffet space ranges from SR500 and SR2,000 per sq. meter.
Khaled Batrafi, an expert in hotel booking, said three-star and four-star hotels enjoy a reservation rate of 70 percent while five-star hotels 30 percent. He attributed the low reservation rate to people’s decision to reduce non-essential expenses.
© The Saudi Gazette 2017
