Thane hoteliers hope business to pick pace November onwards

Akshay Nayak

On the back of Unlock 4.0 which kicked-off on September 1, in line with other states, the Maharashtra Government also eased certain restrictions. Remarkably though, while the state government this time has allowed hotels and lodges to operate at 100% occupancy capacity, the hospitality industry stalwarts are hinting at completing this year’s balance sheet in red.

Thane being more of a business city than a leisure destination, major hoteliers both branded and standalone here have a high dependency on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), weddings, social events, etc. Hoteliers have expressed disdain over the mistimed ‘Unlock’ decision as they have already lost a major chunk of business. “This year is not getting any close to the kind of business that we witnessed last year. The main season has gone by. Summer is crucial for us given our dependency on social events, weddings and corporate events. The decision of allowing hotels to open in full capacity is untimely as from June to October, business is anyway negligible,” elucidates Sanay Shetty, director, Satkar Residency.

Jaideep Rohit Shah, director, Tip Top – a known confectionary brand in Thane and also operator of the hotel Tip Top Plaza, mentioned that the pandemic has left several businesses cash-strapped, importantly, the foodservice sector. “Being Banquets-heavy, with restrictions of allowing only 50 guests, the business is negligible to be measured. Given the situation and the restriction on the number, we will be seeing a business of only 35-40% as compared to the last year,” he adds.

While Mr Shetty mentions that the uncertainty brought in by the pandemic looks still bleak, he is expecting to see the business slowly starting only in November this year.