AccorHotels reported strong demand in hotel occupancy, with both Australia Day and Chinese New Year revellers driving demand into core markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
AccorHotels Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath attributes the bumper weekend last week to those making the most of Australia Day by making it a four-day long weekend and the start of the two week Chinese New Year festival to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.
“With many Australia’s planning to enjoy four-days off this coming weekend, its pleasing to see so many making the most of the Australia Day public holiday and taking advantage of the warm weather we are currently experiencing around the country.
“Our Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD hotels are highly constrained this coming weekend, currently sitting at over 90% occupancy, with limited rooms still available for revellers looking to book a hotel stay. Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour for example, is forecasting to be 100% full this coming weekend, with only a handful of rooms still available to book.
“Even Brisbane, which is a softer market at the moment, is reporting over 70% occupancy across the board, a significant uplift of 30% compared to the same weekend last year, which is extremely positive,” McGrath concluded.
The Year of the Rooster will be celebrated at over 50 AccorHotels across the country from 28 January 2017. The two week festival will see select AccorHotels decorated with red lanterns, tea stations, and bright floral displays. Upon check-in, guests can expect to see front office staff dressed in traditional costumes at many hotels, while Lion Dancers will be a highlight at some.
