Booking demand increases
Setting a goal to be in Hanoi to watch two BIGBANG concert nights on October 24 and 25, Hoang Yen (HCMC) soon planned for the trip before officially opening ticket sales. In which, she calculated accommodation in advance.
Yen said that she prioritizes finding a hotel convenient to move to My Dinh stadium and plans to stay in Hanoi for about two nights. Instead of just going to see the concert and then returning, she wants to combine the trip with eating and visiting Hanoi.
Because the concert takes place in the evening, I want to stay in Hanoi instead of going back in the day. I plan to book a room for about two nights, combining concert viewing and sightseeing, eating and drinking," Hoang Yen shared.
Not only Hoang Yen, the demand for accommodation in Hanoi is increasing as fans are starting to plan for BIGBANG's two nights of performances. According to data from Klook, in July, the search and access to hotel information in Hanoi by domestic customers on this platform increased by nearly 50% compared to the same period last year. For international visitors, the search and access also increased by about 30%.
Meanwhile, data from Traveloka shows that the BIGBANG concert in October caused domestic travel searches to Hanoi to increase more than 4 times compared to normal.
On Agoda, since BIGBANG announced the performance schedule, some surveys also recorded that many accommodation establishments in Hanoi, especially in the area near My Dinh Stadium, only have limited number of rooms for the end of October.
The number of rooms on booking platforms is constantly changing, so it is not possible to confirm that the entire Hanoi market is short of rooms. However, these data show that accommodation demand has increased quite early.
At Sheraton Hanoi West (about 2 km from My Dinh Stadium), the heat of the event is also clearly shown through the number of bookings.
Ms. Bui Linh, from the hotel's communications department, said: "Currently, the room occupancy rate for the period of October 24-25 has increased significantly, reaching about 70-80%. With the number of individual room bookings quite high, we predict this may be due to fans booking to see BIGBANG's concert".
At Super Hotel Hanoi, Mr. Dinh Trong Hieu, General Manager of the hotel branch, said that the room occupancy rate for the two days of October 24 and 25 has now reached more than 60% and is expected to be fully booked.
Usually, my customers book rooms quite close to the date, mainly for about a week or so. However, the two days of the concert currently receive many bookings even though it is still quite early," Mr. Hieu said.
According to Mr. Hieu, more than 50% of room bookings are domestic customers, mainly from other provinces and cities coming to Hanoi; besides, there are also a part of international customers. Most customers book through OTA platforms such as Agoda, Expedia and Booking.
The popular accommodation trend is one or two nights. Among the four hotel room classes, the Twin room with two beds is the most booked, indicating a need for groups of two or more people.
Room rates for the two days of October 24 and 25 are currently increasing by about 20-30% compared to normal days. According to Mr. Hieu, the adjustment is made based on the needs of customers during the event.
However, surveys at platforms show that room rates are still high and have not increased significantly in areas of Hanoi far from My Dinh Stadium. Therefore, tourists who do not mind traveling far still have many room options during this occasion.
Hotel prepares personnel and service to welcome fans
The increase in the number of guests during the concert sets requirements for personnel and service quality for accommodation establishments. At Sheraton Hanoi West, Ms. Linh said that the hotel will proactively arrange sufficient personnel to meet actual needs.
Regarding operation, the hotel will arrange enough personnel to be able to ensure service quality according to the group's standards," Ms. Linh said.
In addition, the hotel is building some products and services for the concert period. According to Ms. Linh, specific information such as shuttle buses, private projects... is expected to be updated by the hotel on official media channels around September.
Meanwhile, Super Hotel Hanoi has no plans to deploy separate services for BIGBANG fans. Mr. Hieu said that the hotel still maintains the same personnel plan as at times when room occupancy is high.
According to records from the two hotels, accommodation demand is concentrated right at the time of the concert, while the number of customers booking for the days before and after the event has not increased correspondingly. This shows that most fans tend to combine short trips with attending the program.
BIGBANG's appeal also creates more motivation for hotels to closely monitor market demand and prepare suitable products. When tickets officially open for sale on August 13, fans complete their travel plans, and the Hanoi accommodation market may continue to record new fluctuations.
