At the height of its tourist season, which peaks from
Christmas and comes to a slow halt after New Year, Goa witnesses a surge of
revellers. A general consensus this year however indicates that Christmas was given
a miss in favour of the more happening weekend from December 27, which will witness
two EDM Festivals – Sunburn and Supersonic. “There’s not too much of a crowd for
Christmas, but occupancy from December 27 to January 1 is at a peak,” affirms
Carey Cordeiro, Operations Manager, Cavala Seaside Resort, Baga.
It’s a trend being faced by almost all hotels along the
Northern coastal belt. Hotels like the Maria Rosa Resort at Calangute who are
experiencing a slack are hoping to pick up pace with the start of the EDM
festivals from December 27 onwards. Yet others bank on the charters and
walk-ins. “We do not bank on the EDMs, rather, most of our business comes from
the Russian charters. While Christmas shows a dull occupancy, the week from
December 27 to January 1 is full,” states Edwin Dias, General Manager, Resorte Marinha
Dourada, Arpora.
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With most of the revellers belonging to the student or the
middle-income group, the choice of hotels are obviously the ‘budgeted’ ones. Residential
houses along the coastline capitalise on the rush by letting out a room or two
during the season. Even with a price tag of Rs 5,000-7,000, these rooms are
grabbed up by last-minute travellers. Rohit Korgaonkar who lets out his 2 BHK
apartment at Beira Mar Alfran Resorts, Baga, earns a handsome rent of Rs 8,000
per night during season.
In the same vein, hotel room rates during this week shoot up
by around 50% to benefit from the demand. For instance, at Cavala Seaside
Resort, while room rents commence around Rs 3,500-3,800 during off season, they
peak at around Rs 6,000-25,000 (for villas) during season. Hotels however throw
in a breakfast and include taxes in the overall rate to lure customers, but
packages are restricted to the off-season. “We always offer a room rate
inclusive of breakfast and taxes, whether it is off-season or peak time,”
affirms Josh Fernandes, General Manager, Maria Rosa Resort. Beira Mar offers an
equally economical room rate with breakfast and taxes to suit the budgeted
pocket.
Box:
On a shoe string
(rates per night)
·
Cavala Seaside Resort, Baga – Rates commence
from Rs 6,000 inclusive of breakfast
·
Beira Mar Alfran Resort, Baga – Rates from Rs 2,500
to Rs 3,000 inclusive of breakfast and taxes
·
Resorte Marinha Dourada, Arpora – Rates commence
from Rs 10,000
·
Cafe Blue, Palolem – Rates from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000
with breakfast
·
Maria Rosa Resort, Calangute – Rates from Rs 4,000
to Rs 5,000 including breakfast and taxes
·
Poonam Village, Anjuna – Rates from Rs 3,000 to Rs
4,000
·
Yo Yo Goa, Apartment Hotel, Vagator – Rates from
Rs 2,500
