Hotels near Rizal Park fully booked for papal visit

MANILA, Philippines - Hotels near Rizal Park in Manila are doing brisk business as travelers arrive to attend the mass of Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday.

The historic Luneta Hotel along Kalaw Street and the new Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros have no more rooms available for new guests this week.

Luneta Hotel supervisor Gerry Tuazon said there was a high demand for rooms following the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CPCP) announcement last year of the schedule of the papal visit.

“After the CBCP announcement about the papal visit in the second week of November last year, all 24 rooms (of the Luneta Hotel) are fully booked, which is a 30 to 50 percent increase in the occupancy rate than our usual,” Tuazon said.

Tuazon, however, said that even with the high demand for rooms the hotel did not hike its rates.

“We are offering the promo rates of between P4,400 to P7,000 per room,” said Tuazon.

Officials of Bayleaf Hotel, which is near the Lyceum of the Philippines in Intramuros, said their information desk had been bombarded with calls for room reservations since the last week of December last year.

Arni Samson of Bayleaf Hotel said all 57 rooms of the hotel are occupied.

A standard room at Bayleaf Hotel is worth P4,900.

Samson said only the hotel’s presidential suite, which goes for a hefty P20,000 per night, remains available.

“Since the announcement of the CBCP about the papal visit, bookings remain high for all city hotels. The papal visit had a great impact on the business,” Samson said.

Samson added that Bayleaf Hotel did not hike its room rates for the pope’s visit.

The landmark Manila Hotel meanwhile says it still has rooms available for guests.