Regent Taipei (台北晶華酒店) yesterday teamed up with HTC Corp (宏達電) to offer a free virtual reality (VR) experience in the hope of boosting occupancy by 30 percent during the summer vacation.
The VR experience, which is to be offered free to guests from Wednesday next week, is part of a special package that aims to grow the five-star hotel into an urban resort catering to local families, Regent Taipei communications manager Beth Tsai (蔡惠如) said.
Travelers from Japan used to account for a considerable share of the hotel’s clientele before the COVID-19 pandemic, but border controls have diminished visits by foreign business travelers, Tsai said.
The VR experience features six popular VR games and films, including Hotel Transylvania Popstic, The Blu, Trainer VR and Angry Birds VR, she said.
The three-day package, which is priced at NT$2,990 per person, also features evening movie screenings by the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool, and refreshments and other amenities, Tsai said, adding that it has already received reservations for 200 rooms.
The package is expected to boost occupancy by 30 percent to more than 50 percent on weekdays and 80 percent on weekends, she said.
Meanwhile, parent Regent Hotels & Resorts (晶華麗晶酒店集團) is to press ahead with the opening of Just Sleep (捷絲旅) in Tainan next year, but would push back projects in Taipei, Tsai said, adding that lingering uncertainty caused by the virus warrants caution.
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