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With the close of the HighWinter Season only five weeks away, there does not seem to bea surge in occupancy as managers' reports give ...
Mixed Hotel Review
As the wintertourist season nears to an end, Cayman Net News has been receivingreports of varying experiences between hoteliers and condominiumoperators ranging from a disappointing to a modest season withsome declaring an outstanding one.
In spite of the mixed bag of results withmerely weeks to the close of the high season many of the tourismindustry operators are saying that business will be looking towardsa better performance than was expected immediately after the 11September terrorist attack in the United States, Cayman's maintourism market.
Some hotel managers and other senior staffhave confirmed figures of as low as the thirty percentage range,others report levels just over 50 per cent, while some condominiumoperators say that they are peaking between 90 and 95 per centin occupancy.
Resort Night Manager at Morrit's TortugaClub and Resort, Sandy Thompson, says the occupancy rate has remainedabove the 90s all year round, and credits this to their totalof 200 units operating on a time share basis.
A senior manager, who preferred not to benamed at Royal Reefs Resorts, another - time-share facilityin the East End district next to Morritt's, said there has alsobeen an average of 90 to 95 per cent occupancy for their 30 unitsand 60 rooms.
The showing has, however, been more soberingfor hotels.
"We are not quite where we were lastyear this time and we certainly did see less occupancy in Januaryand February," explains Marie Cummings, General Manager ofComfort Suites.
She said that there was the hope of her108 rooms hotel attaining an occupancy level for February in thehigh 60s but the figure fell off seven per cent from that of lastyear to 63 per cent. In January the level was 43 per cent comparedto 59 per cent in the corresponding period of 2001.
Ms. Cummings does not look to the remainingweeks of the season ending with a bang either: "Last yearwe had a very strong April, but it does not look like doing thesame this year".
She estimates that by season's end the totalperformance will fall off between 15 and 18 per cent.
She says that the 2001 to 2002 winter performanceproved better than was expected immediately after the 11 Septemberattacks.
"I think we are getting a little betterthan the picture of doom and gloom we had a t that time."
Holiday Inn General Manager, Willy Giger,lays much of the blame for a dismal showing by his hotel on theterrorist attacks, the war in Afghanistan and the many other conflictsthe world over which he said all favour current advertising bydestinations in the US telling potential visitors to enjoy theirvacations at home.
"If you look at it, the US destinationsare advertising on TV, Florida and Texas, saying to stay home,it is safe," he said.
He says that in this area Cayman is notdoing enough advertising and even the Caribbean neighbours aremore aggressive.
He puts the Holiday Inn occupancy levelsthis season as hovering between 30 and 35 per cent for the 231rooms and says that the 11 September attacks dug deeply into hisoccupancy showing.
"Right before that (terrorist attacks)it started picking up. After 9-11 we started getting cancellations. I am not talking about just the month after but many months.I was at one time getting more cancellations than bookings,"he stated.
The prices of accommodations still seemto be a deterrent for new and returning visitors. How the restof this year develops in terms of increased occupancy, may dependon several factors including the current cost for airfares fromthe US mainland. It may also very well depend on how much hoteliersare prepared to reduce their rates to attract more stay over visitors.