PUNE: With Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday, many couples have opted to celebrate over the weekend. Instead of travelling to crowded tourist spots, many are choosing a relaxing or activity-filled staycation at city hotels.
After a lull throughout January due to the third wave, hotels have now seen a spike in bookings.
A concierge at a five star hotel in Vimannagar said, “Bookings are up by 50% for this weekend. We are offering deals on brunches and in-house services.”
“Many couples have booked with us to get some privacy as everyone’s been cooped up at home together for two years. There are lots of activities for children while their parents unwind,” said an employee of another five-star hotel in Mundhwa.
Abhir Agarwal, owner of a boutique hotel in Baner, said, “Promotions on social media paid off. The property is booked over 70% for the Valentine’s Day weekend. Since we are a theme-hotel, where the set up of every room is inspired by a different popular city across the world, we encouraged guests to book a room with us to get a feel of the international destination instead of actually travelling, making the best of the pandemic situation.”
Many couples have also booked local bed and breakfast accommodations with facilities they can enjoy privately such as an open terrace or swimming pool.
A working professional Kanika Batra said, “Since tourist spots have opened after a long time, these places are bound to be crowded during the Valentine’s Day weekend.” An IT professional Somesh Patel said, “We wanted a change of scenery, but we also did not feelsafe enough to travel just yet as we have elderly parents at home.”
