Hotels News

Hotels are going the extra mile to woo guests who stay for a month or, sometimes, even years. Hoteliers say demand for extended stays is being driven by executives who are on work assignments in far-off cities, people travelling for medical treatments as well as those who are renovating their homes.

While months of staying in swanky suites, trying multiple cuisines and raiding the mini-bar in the hotel room sounds fun, it may leave you homesick. Hotels are now making the stay more home-like with simple home-style food and even going to the extent in making the room resemble like your home.

With almost 4,000 room nights a year from extended-stay guests, JW Marriott Juhu recently opened studio apartments resembling homes - with a living room, bed room, kitchenette and wash area - in the hotel to cater to this segment. For one of its long-staying guest, it redesigned the living room of a suite to resemble what he has at home.

Hotels are taking special care of the food requirement of these customers. For instance, Eros Hotel in New Delhi, which gets 15% of its long-stay business from Japanese guests, has hired a Japanese chef to whip up new dishes for such guests.
"We have also hired a guest relations executive fluent in Japanese to facilitate these guests and have better connect with them," says Davinder Juj, Executive Assistant Manager, Eros Hotel in New Delhi The hotel gets almost a quarter of its business from peo ple who stay for long periods.

Hotel executives say long-term visitors tend to spend more than the normal guests who stay for a day or two on hotel services, including restaurants, room service and spa appointments.