Many hotels, resorts and weekend retreats have begun to bring down their prices and offer great deals to appease customers. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)
It has been a painful few months for travellers, with a raging pandemic that refuses to budge. But, those who want to travel always find a way. As the lockdown restrictions eased a little over the past few weeks, some people began looking for places to travel to finally, even for a quick weekend trip.
As such, many hotels, resorts and weekend retreats began to bring down their prices and offer great deals to appease customers. If you are looking to spend your weekend somewhere, here is what you need to know.
Many hotel aggregators and vacation rental sites are offering lucrative deals. For instance, Yatra has a deal on domestic travel, wherein packages start from Rs 5,999. You can choose from a variety of weekend getaways, and the offer is valid till July 31, 2020. It is also offering some deals on domestic flights and hotels. Information on safe travel discounts on selected hotels is available on the website.
Similar deals are available on sites such as MakeMyTrip and Booking.com as well, of which the latter is offering 15 per cent or more off on stays between now and January 4, 2021. In addition to this, it has also introduced a health and safety feature on its platform, for which accommodation partners will have to select the different health and safety measures they are taking in areas such as hygiene, sanitization, social distancing and food safety, among others. Their selection will be displayed on the Booking.com website on their property page in a specially designed ‘health and safety box’, to equip travellers with transparency while making a travel decision.
“In an attempt to boost domestic tourism and for the revival of the travel industry, we are offering deals and discounts to the travellers wanting to make a booking for when it’s safe to do so. Special discounts for domestic bookers, special family deals and mobile discounts is something we are offering our bookers. Additionally, we also have our ‘Genius Program’, which gives customers a minimum 10 per cent off on select properties, just by booking twice which makes it even easier for customers to experience the world,” Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com, said.
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When it comes to specific hotels, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa have come up with special ‘Staycation Offers’. At the Westin Sohna Resort and Spa, for instance, you can avail a ‘Family Leisure Offer’. The price range starts from Rs 10,999 and goes up to Rs 12,999, which includes buffet breakfast at the living room, refuel buffet lunch, dinner at Asian speciality restaurant Xiao Chi, and complimentary kids’ meals and accommodation for children aged 12 years and younger. The special rates are based on the current market scenario.
Similarly, if you were to have a ‘staycation’ at the Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi, you would have to pay anywhere between Rs 8,499 and Rs 10,999. These are inclusive of: a curated five-course menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Seasonal Tastes, which is a multi cuisine food and beverage outlet, cleanliness and hygiene, complimentary wifi, and complimentary late checkout.
“A variety of wellness activities set against the backdrop of bespoke luxury, while maintaining a strict hygiene and sanitation protocol awaits all our guests. We are confident we will deliver the highest standards of exemplary service while keeping the customer safety foremost,” Rahul Puri, multi-property General Manager, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa, told indianexpress.com.
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On July 9, the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced that hotels across Mumbai — Taj Mahal Tower, Taj Lands End; Taj Santacruz, and President IHCL SeleQtions — would offer new ‘Urban Getaways’ to encourage travellers to take a short break. Essentially, the Urban Getaways offer provides guests with a multitude of benefits, including daily hotel credits, discounts on certain services and guaranteed room upgrades, among others.
In Taj City Centre Gurugram, you can enjoy a mini break with 20 per cent discount on salon services under the ‘Urban Getaway’ offer. This is valid till December 31, 2020. Its price range starts from Rs 9,000 plus taxes per night. Similarly, for those seeking a quick getaway, from say Pune to Mumbai, they can stay at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai, and enjoy 20 per cent off on salon and spa. This offer is valid till December 31, 2020, too. And its price range starts from Rs 10,150 per night, which comes with a ‘Daily Hotel Credit’ as defined by the hotel, and redeemable against food and beverage, laundry, spa and any other service specified by the hotel, and guaranteed one-level upgrade to next category based on availability.
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