The knock-on effect. Coronavirus hits Phuket hotels.

[madmitch]

One of the problems

4 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

I just did a new search on a hotel I had booked for a week and it's gone down significantly in price, so cancelled and re-booked 

 

air asia flights have gone down slightly too

This is one of the reasons that a number of hotels haven't reduced their prices online. If they have a significant number of advance bookings from non-Chinese customers, they don't want them all invoking their free cancellation and rebooking at a much-reduced price, though I suppose it's worse if they cancel and rebook elsewhere! As a result they are likely to miss out on new bookings, albeit from a reduced customer-base.

 

It's a difficult balancing act for many places but for all those that don't know the industry and fully expected hotel prices to rise to make up for the shortfall in guest numbers, this shows you were totally wrong.

[cyril sneer]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

One of the problems

This is one of the reasons that a number of hotels haven't reduced their prices online. If they have a significant number of advance bookings from non-Chinese customers, they don't want them all invoking their free cancellation and rebooking at a much-reduced price, though I suppose it's worse if they cancel and rebook elsewhere! As a result they are likely to miss out on new bookings, albeit from a reduced customer-base.

 

It's a difficult balancing act for many places but for all those that don't know the industry and fully expected hotel prices to rise to make up for the shortfall in guest numbers, this shows you were totally wrong.

i'm in the wrong for rebooking my hotel at a cheaper price?

[madmitch]

1 minute ago, cyril sneer said:

i'm in the wrong for rebooking my hotel at a cheaper price?

Of course you're not! I'd do exactly the same.

 

I'm only using your post as an example as to why not every hotel can chop prices.

[LivinginKata]

8 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

i'm in the wrong for rebooking my hotel at a cheaper price?

 

If the hotels allows cancellation with no financial penalty then they are the fools.

[cyril sneer]

1 minute ago, madmitch said:

Of course you're not! I'd do exactly the same.

 

I'm only using your post as an example as to why not every hotel can chop prices.

I think if everyone was re-checking prices on hotel they've booked then cancelling it, the hotel would scrap the free cancellation, or at least make the free cancellation cut-off time much sooner (which most other hotels do anyway).

 

It's more a case of potential new customers waiting for a good price, or not booking at all because of corona/high baht etc.

[madmitch]

1 minute ago, cyril sneer said:

I think if everyone was re-checking prices on hotel they've booked then cancelling it, the hotel would scrap the free cancellation, or at least make the free cancellation cut-off time much sooner (which most other hotels do anyway).

 

It's more a case of potential new customers waiting for a good price, or not booking at all because of corona/high baht etc.

Unfortunately free cancellation is a selling point for hotels. Many offer a cheaper price for a non-refundable option. Personally I vary between the two options depending upon circumstances.

 

Price reductions aren't just in Thailand: last week I booked a long weekend in Singapore; return flights and three nights in a four star hotel for 8500 baht!

[Henryford]

Thailand made their Chinese bed. Now they can lie in it. The rest of us have gone elsewhere.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Henryford

[ChipButty]

12 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

If the hotels allows cancellation with no financial penalty then they are the fools.

The OTAs are giving refunds under extenuating circumstances which overrides your cancellation policy's we have only had 2 cancellations lucky I suppose, I did meet a guy the other week already 40% cancel

[ChipButty]

Things must be getting desperate for the online booking platforms, yesterday we received an email from Agoda suggesting we add a further 10% discount in return we get more 

By joining this program, your properties will get higher exposure to Agoda’s customers and earn 3x more bookings and 12% lower cancellation rates!

[geriatrickid]

The pandemic was the   proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for many non  Chinese/russian tourists.

[Isaan sailor]

Phuket is way too expensive to begin with. Couple this with a Baht way too expensive, and add fears of wuhan virus.  Triple whammy.

[ChipButty]

39 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Phuket is way too expensive to begin with. Couple this with a Baht way too expensive, and add fears of wuhan virus.  Triple whammy.

Right now I would say Phuket is the best place to be especially in the south of the island around Rawai we are surrounded by the ocean and a nice sea breeze blowing clear blue skys no smog and very few Chinese