S Hotel’s occupancy has fallen to 20 to 30 percent from an average of 80 percent last year, as tourist arrivals come to a virtual standstill amid the COVID-19 outbreak, it said.
Like most of its peers, the boutique facility in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) is attempting to stay afloat by cutting its headcount and reducing working hours, as well as offering customers takeout food services and discount rates.
Taipei labor authorities confirmed that the hotel filed to place 55 employees on unpaid leave between last month and this month to cope with a sharp decline in business.
The hotel’s Chinese celebrity owner Wang Xiaofei (汪小菲) said on his blog that he does not want to let anyone go and hopes his colleagues could help the hotel through the tough time.
The hospitality industry is bearing the brunt of the global travel restrictions imposed to hinder the spread of COVID-19.
The hotel, with 103 designed rooms, is seeking to attract domestic travelers through room rate discounts and shore up sales at its restaurant by offering takeout food at NT$280 per set.
“The strategy is expected to drive up food revenue before things can return to normal,” S Hotel director of sales Vivienne Lee (李雅惠) told the Taipei Times.
The hotel’s restaurant and bar facility fares better than its rooms, thanks to its relatively affordable menu in a neighborhood with plenty of professional workers, Lee said.
Hong Kong chef Constant Cheung (張卓智) has updated the menu to feature nouvelle cuisine at NT$680 per set at lunch and from NT$1,580 at dinner.
The hotel is also offering guests a 25 percent discount for dinner sets priced at NT$1,580 and NT$1,980, plus a 10 percent service charge.
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