Drive Thru Wedding Is How Hotels Survive Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - PT Hotel Indonesia Natour (Persero) or HIN has taken a number of strategies to be able to rise from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused a very significant decrease in income. Currently, hotel companies do not only rely on the room rental business.

President Director of HIN Iswandi Said said, various ways were taken to survive amid the pressure of the pandemic. This step is a business innovation. This is because PT HIN has never closed its hotels during the pandemic.

"We, from the management, make headlines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) according to the new normal, and disseminate them to all PT HIN. And we apply health protocols with discipline," he said, in a virtual discussion, Thursday, September 23.

Food and Beverages Service

Iswandi said, PT HIN made business innovations, one of which was maximizing food and beverages services. Where, the hotel switched to provide catering.

"So our hotels are spurred in such a way as to sell products that are delivered. It can be delivered to homes through cooperation with Gojek and all kinds. So that the kitchen is still overflowing and can help with electricity and other costs," he said.

Offer Drive Thru Wedding and Graduation Services

According to Iswandi, his party has also started thinking about how his hotel can provide wedding or wedding services in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because the company previously provided the service.

"At the same time, we have also started to think about how to keep doing weddings but weddings are drive-thru. This has been done in several hotels in Medan, Yogya and Bali," he explained.

In fact, said Iswandi, his party had just held a drive thru graduation ceremony at the PT HIN hotel, with a total of 1,800 people.

Laundry Service

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Iswandi, PT HIN continues to innovate so that it can survive and pay employee salaries. One way that has never been done before must be done. One of them is providing laundry services for the community.

"We offer laundry services to people who want to do laundry. We deliver it to the house. This is all our work that was in house, we take it outside," he explained.

Hotel Discount 45 Percent

Iswandi said, to maintain cash flow amidst the economic downturn, his party offered a 'book now stay later' system or order now and then can be occupied at any time. According to him, this really helps PT HIN's cash flow.

"We offer the public book now stay later, which means buying vouchers at a special price. At that time we offer a 45 percent discount and customers can stay at any time, until next year," he said.

Self-isolation

Furthermore, said Iswamdi, the service offered by his company is as an independent isolation place. In fact, this program is quite attractive to the public.

"This independent isolation is quite attractive. There are several people with sufficient economies, they do not want to stay at the Athlete House or places provided by the government, but they want isolation in hotels," he explained.