With the international COVID-19 pandemic increasing in severity, tighter border restrictions mean that only a small number of Taiwanese will be able to travel abroad during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday period. As a result, hotels are doing a roaring trade in family reunion dinners this year, with several well-known five-star hotels becoming booked out as early as December last year. Two months ago, the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel had sold nearly 200 preorders, while places for Lunar New Year dinners at the Okura Taipei and the Fullon Hotel also sold out last year. The pandemic has given a significant boost to the Lunar New Year dinner trade, with the Fullon Hotel Group reporting a 30 percent increase on last year’s takings at its hotels while the Palais de Chine Hotel has seen a massive 90 percent increase.
Last year Le Meridien Taipei’s third-floor restaurant began selling a Meridien Lunar New Year Banquet that costs NT$32,800 per table for 10, excluding a 10 percent service charge. By mid December last year, the restaurant had already taken bookings for all 50 of its tables. The Renaissance Taipei Shilin Hotel’s Lunar New Year dinner service has not been affected by the pandemic, and places at its second floor banquet room were snapped up within three weeks.
In addition to sit-down dinners, hotels are also offering their customers a Lunar New Year banquet takeaway service, which is proving extremely popular. The Fullon Hotel Group reports that takings are currently up by between 20 and 30 percent for Lunar New Year takeaway meals at all of its locations across Taiwan. The Palais de Chine Hotel is this year offering an “upgrade” version of its Lunar New Year dinner set: the “rich and wealthy poon choi” set costs NT$38,800 per table, while the “open flame chicken congee stewed fish maw” will set diners back NT$18,800 per table. Despite the high prices, the hotel says tables are selling out fast and the restaurant is now 90 percent booked up.
Photo courtesy of the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel 照片：業者提供
Finally, the Okura Prestige Taipei is also doing a roaring trade this year. Its best-selling dishes include traditional New Year favorites such as “suckling pig and smoked duck rich and wealthy platter” and “fermented soy bean curd roast chicken.”
(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
國際疫情嚴峻，邊境管制持續減少國人出國過年，讓今年飯店圍爐業績強強滾，多家知名五星級飯店圍爐宴早在去年十二月就預訂一空，其中台北喜來登大飯店提早至兩個月前就完售近百桌，大倉久和、福容大飯店現場圍爐宴也早在去年就熱銷滿檔；疫情也帶動年菜外帶銷售業績，福容全台連鎖店整體銷售較去年成長三成，君品酒店銷售更飆達九成。
台北寒舍艾美酒店三樓宴會廳去年底首次推出「金綻艾美」除夕圍爐饗宴，每桌售價三萬二千八百元加十％（十位），近五十桌去年十二月中旬就全數被訂完。台北士林萬麗酒店則表示，今年春節現場圍爐未受疫情影響，二樓宴會廳除夕圍爐宴場次開賣三週就已搶光。
飯店年菜外帶也非常受歡迎。目前為止全台福容連鎖店年菜外帶銷售額較去年成長兩到三成。君品酒店今年還推出「升級版」外帶年菜，其中「富貴大盆菜」要價三萬八千八百元、「明火雞粥燉花膠」也要一萬八千八百元，民眾仍搶著買單，銷售已達九成。
大倉久和年菜外帶也較去年明顯成長，以單品類銷售最佳，包括「乳豬燻鴨富貴大拼盤」、「南乳燒雞」等傳統年節大菜最暢銷。
（自由時報蕭玗欣）
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