Hotels around the world struggle desperately to fill empty rooms amid the pandemic. A second wave has forced the closure of recently reopened hotels from Thailand to Europe. Some have resorted to divesting their properties. But for Chinese groups, these times present an opportunity.
China’s biggest hotel chains have recovered from earlier this year when lockdowns hit bookings. Since then domestic travel has surged. In Wuhan, the heart of the outbreak, air travel is back to last year’s levels.
Hotel room rentals have rebounded since August. Last month average hotel booking prices were about a fifth higher year-on-year. The average hotel occupancy rate reached 80 per cent last week.