The Grand Cosmos Resort Ruisui (瑞穗春天國際觀光酒店), a luxury property belonging to the Cosmos Hotel & Resorts Group (天成飯店集團), has gained headway in meeting its business targets this year thanks to strong room and dining sales, despite growing competition in eastern Taiwan, senior officials said yesterday.
The new 198-room facility this year aims to generate revenue of NT$800 million (US$25.68 million) and an occupancy rate of 70 percent, higher than the 50 to 60 percent average booked by other hotels in their first year.
“The group will not be satisfied with average showings,” marketing and communications head Blithe Chao (趙芝綺) said, adding that the group’s flagship property, Cosmos Hotel Taipei (台北天成大飯店) in front of Taipei Railway Station, has outranked its peers for seven straight years with occupancy rates higher than 90 percent, while the Taipei Garden Hotel (台北花園大酒) one MRT station away has better than 80 percent occupancy.
The Grand Cosmos Resort in Ruisui Township (瑞穗) is the firm’s first venture in Hualien County, where international brands have announced plans to increase their presence in the next few years, encouraged by the county’s scenic attractions and improving infrastructure.
Hualien County is home to the internationally renowned Taroko Gorge (太魯閣峽谷), Cisingtan Beach (七星潭), ranches and quiet rural towns.
Tourists to the county totaled 44 million in the first five months of this year, compared with 92.82 million for all of last year, county government statistics showed.
Marriott International Inc in December is to open a new property in Chian Township (吉安鄉) under the Element by Westin brand, while Taiwan Land Development Co (台灣土地開發) in 2021 is to launch a hotel under the French economy brand Ibis near Hualien Bay (洄瀾灣).
The completion of the Suhua Highway Improvement Project next year is to significantly boost the number of domestic and international tourists, Cosmos Group chairman Chang Mao-sung (張茂松) said, adding that overall revenue at the Grand Cosmos Resort is to rise 40 percent.
Daily room rates have been about NT$9,000, but are expected to rise to NT$12,000 this year and NT$15,000 after that, making the facility the most expensive in eastern Taiwan.
“The pricing is not unreasonable given its spacious rooms — all with indoor hot springs — and hundreds of amenities to entertain and pamper guests,” Chao said.
The group spent seven years building the 20,000 ping (66,116m2) complex into what bloggers call the Taiwanese version of Hogwarts, a fictional British school of magic in the Harry Potter movie series.
Occupancy last month climbed to 50 percent, from 40 percent during the soft opening in the previous four months, and might improve further as the summer high season approaches and the facility becomes more popular, Chao said.
To attract international guests, the group has invited award-winning Colombian chef Santiago Torrijos to cook at the Prime One Steak House in Cosmos Resort and Taipei Garden from Wednesday to tomorrow.
The guest-chef experience, intended to raise the steak house’s revenue by 20 percent during the period, appears to be successful, as most seats have sold out in advance, Chao said.
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