A hotel in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Thelobby of a hotel on Hang Be Street in the heart of Hanoi thatused to be full of tourists is now filled with furniture.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa reopened the hotel in lateMay after social distancing orders ended, but now, with the second wave ofthe COVID-19 pandemic hitting hard, she has decided to cut her losses and sellthe hotel.
Beforethe pandemic, Hoa hotel’s revenue was about 250 million VND (10,800 USD) per month but in the last fivemonths of this year, she could barely afford to pay her operating bills andemployees.
Thehotel she paid more than 100 billion VND for three years ago is now on salefor 67 billion VND.
“Themore I stay, the more I lose. I see no future in this place in such asituation," she told Vietnam News.
After99 days without community transmission, the pandemic returned in lateJuly and hurt domestic tourism, making a bad situation worse for Hoa andother hotel owners. Foreigners account for 90 percent of guestsfor many hotels in the Old Quarter.
Severalpopular hotels in the Old Quarter have closed again after reopening and don'tknow when they'll be back, while other establishments that closed during thefirst wave will never return.
Realtyresearch firm Savills reported the pandemic has had a strong impact on thehotel market's performance in the capital, noting the occupation capacity of3-5 star hotels only reached 21 percent in the second quarter.
Do Thu Hang, director of research and consultancydepartment at Savills, said the capacity of the hotel market supply in Hanoiwas nearly 10,000 rooms with 16 five-star hotels, 19 four-star hotels and 31three-star hotels. However, two four-star hotels and eight three-star hotels inHoan Kiem District were still closed. Hang said some new hotel projects hadcompleted construction but developers have not yet decided to open.
ThePeople's Committee of Hoan Kiem District said before the pandemic, thedistrict had 672 accommodation establishments including hotels, guest houses,motels and homestays but by the end of June 2020, there were only 405establishments still operating.
Despitea lack of official figures, most stakeholders reckon the second wave of thepandemic would have a greater impact on hotels than the first.
Insteadof closing, the Stelward Prima Hotel on Chan Cam Street has used its facilities to offermonthly rentals and film caféservices.
Accordingto the owner of the hotel HosteskNguyen, normally the price for one night was from 700,000 VND to more than 1 million VND, now they must offer rooms in thethree-star hotel at 6 million VND per month with full service.
Toretain employees, he has also turned some rooms in the hotel into afilm café for local couples, asking 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND for the first two hours with two drinks andtwo snacks.
“Ourrooms have big TVs with Netflix, now we have installed a good sound system with5.1 surround sound and made them a cinema box. It's all to help my employeeshave things to do," he told Vietnam News.
Nguyen Thu Bich was selling iced tea in thelobby of Hotel Trendy on Lo Su Streetand said she used to be the hotel's accountant, but now as the hotel is closed,the owner let her sell the tea.
Stillopen for guests, Nguyen Van Hai, the receptionist ofthe nearby Hanoi Malo Hotel is also selling ice tea and sugarcanejuice.
“Thereshould be something to do to overcome this situation. It is stillgood to sell the juice here as it is in theOld Quarter with a lot of local tourists,"he said.
Somesmall hotels in the area have reduced room rates by up to 70 percent, withmany rooms on offer for between 200,000 VND and 400,000 VND per night to attract local customersinstead of foreigners./.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa reopened the hotel in lateMay after social distancing orders ended, but now, with the second wave ofthe COVID-19 pandemic hitting hard, she has decided to cut her losses and sellthe hotel.
Beforethe pandemic, Hoa hotel’s revenue was about 250 million VND (10,800 USD) per month but in the last fivemonths of this year, she could barely afford to pay her operating bills andemployees.
Thehotel she paid more than 100 billion VND for three years ago is now on salefor 67 billion VND.
“Themore I stay, the more I lose. I see no future in this place in such asituation," she told Vietnam News.
After99 days without community transmission, the pandemic returned in lateJuly and hurt domestic tourism, making a bad situation worse for Hoa andother hotel owners. Foreigners account for 90 percent of guestsfor many hotels in the Old Quarter.
Severalpopular hotels in the Old Quarter have closed again after reopening and don'tknow when they'll be back, while other establishments that closed during thefirst wave will never return.
Realtyresearch firm Savills reported the pandemic has had a strong impact on thehotel market's performance in the capital, noting the occupation capacity of3-5 star hotels only reached 21 percent in the second quarter.
Do Thu Hang, director of research and consultancydepartment at Savills, said the capacity of the hotel market supply in Hanoiwas nearly 10,000 rooms with 16 five-star hotels, 19 four-star hotels and 31three-star hotels. However, two four-star hotels and eight three-star hotels inHoan Kiem District were still closed. Hang said some new hotel projects hadcompleted construction but developers have not yet decided to open.
ThePeople's Committee of Hoan Kiem District said before the pandemic, thedistrict had 672 accommodation establishments including hotels, guest houses,motels and homestays but by the end of June 2020, there were only 405establishments still operating.
Despitea lack of official figures, most stakeholders reckon the second wave of thepandemic would have a greater impact on hotels than the first.
Insteadof closing, the Stelward Prima Hotel on Chan Cam Street has used its facilities to offermonthly rentals and film caféservices.
Accordingto the owner of the hotel HosteskNguyen, normally the price for one night was from 700,000 VND to more than 1 million VND, now they must offer rooms in thethree-star hotel at 6 million VND per month with full service.
Toretain employees, he has also turned some rooms in the hotel into afilm café for local couples, asking 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND for the first two hours with two drinks andtwo snacks.
“Ourrooms have big TVs with Netflix, now we have installed a good sound system with5.1 surround sound and made them a cinema box. It's all to help my employeeshave things to do," he told Vietnam News.
Nguyen Thu Bich was selling iced tea in thelobby of Hotel Trendy on Lo Su Streetand said she used to be the hotel's accountant, but now as the hotel is closed,the owner let her sell the tea.
Stillopen for guests, Nguyen Van Hai, the receptionist ofthe nearby Hanoi Malo Hotel is also selling ice tea and sugarcanejuice.
“Thereshould be something to do to overcome this situation. It is stillgood to sell the juice here as it is in theOld Quarter with a lot of local tourists,"he said.
Somesmall hotels in the area have reduced room rates by up to 70 percent, withmany rooms on offer for between 200,000 VND and 400,000 VND per night to attract local customersinstead of foreigners./.
VNA
