This was published 2 years ago
Australia Easter holidays 2022: Want a last-minute hotel? Book a mid-week stay
Dean Jones from IHG at the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour, Sydney. Jones says the hotel group has seen an increase in last-minute bookings.Credit: Renee Nowytarger
This Easter has been the busiest for domestic travel in two years, but travellers who've left booking until the last minute shouldn't write-off a last-minute holiday just yet.
Labour shortages are also impacting hotel operations throughout April, with hotels capping occupancy to cope, according to Michael Johnson, chief executive of Tourism Accommodation Australia.
"Whilst we're certainly seeing hotels get busy on weekends, they're not necessarily filling because we still have fairly acute labour shortages right throughout the country at the moment," Johnson said.
However, large hotel brands, including Accor and Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), are still seeing availability across a number of popular properties – particularly for mid-week stays.
Dean Jones, vice president commercial for IHG Australasia, Pacific and Japan, said while demand is bouncing back, holidaymakers may be surprised by what's still on offer at top-tier hotels.
"Travellers can still choose from a range of accommodation experiences, whether from our luxury collection, city or coastal, or a family-friendly stay at one of our Holiday Inn hotels," Jones said.
Those after a luxury staycation in Sydney's CBD can still find availability at Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour (from $289), and newcomer Kimpton Margot Sydney (from $349).
In Melbourne, despite a bumper events season colliding with school holidays, travellers can find accommodation to suit multiple budgets, including Ibis Melbourne Glen Waverley (from $125), Crowne Plaza Melbourne (from $262) and InterContinental Melbourne the Rialto (from $315).
For those yet to book, Jones suggests signing up to free hotel loyalty programs and online newsletters, to be the first to learn of last-minute deals.
The industry is noting a strong trend towards shorter booking windows, and acting accordingly, according to Jones.
"We've been seeing a rise of bookings in the week for the same week. So IHG recently introduced a 'Last Minute Deals' offer that captures last minute getaway destinations for travellers looking to book within the next seven days," he said.
"This week, for example, travellers could book Queenstown from $NZ144 ($132); the week before, travellers could have booked Sydney stays from $194."
Sarah Derry, Accor Pacific chief executive, said most demand over Easter revolves around their leisure properties, but Australian holidaymakers can still book a city staycation.
"For those yet to book an Easter getaway, there are still great rates and packages available at our city hotels," Derry said.
"We've seen an increase in demand for our city hotels and apartments recently, with booking trends picking up for the Easter holidays. We would like to see more sports, arts and cultural events in cities to maintain this momentum."
An Accommodation Association spokesperson said hotels in North Queensland, Gold Coast and Whitsundays are most popular right now, with weekends near capacity throughout the school holidays.
"Adelaide is one of the major standouts, and North Queensland is averaging 92 per cent [occupancy] for the Friday to Sunday period," said the spokesperson.
In contrast, Sydney and Melbourne occupancies are around 70-75 per cent, and those rates drop off considerably after the Easter long weekend, according to Tourism Accommodation Australia.
"Occupancy drops right back again to 40-50 per cent, so if someone is looking to have an Easter holiday break and it doesn't have to be over a weekend, then I think there's plenty of deals to be had mid-week," said Johnson.
That mid-week sweet spot is largely owing to the fact that a number of markets are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Johnson. It gives Australians a chance to book a cheaper escape.
"Our international market – leisure, conference and corporate – is still not back to its normal levels and there seems to be a lot of availability in the CBD hotels mid-week," he said.
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