The more stars they had, the longer Pattaya hotels were able to remain open. But weeks into the second lockdown, even five-star resorts are calling it quits.
The new year brought announcements that the Hard Rock Hotel, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, and D Varee Jomtien all would close temporarily while Chonburi is locked down, when no one can enter or leave the province without government permission.
It has been a miserable ten months for Pattaya’s tourism industry. Shut down from March to July, hotels gradually began reopening, but still suffered single-digit occupancy rates on weekdays.
An autumn surge in domestic tourists, driven by fireworks and music festivals, brought hope that the hotel industry could survive until mass tourism resumed in summer 2021, but the late-December resurgence of the coronavirus and the ensuing lockdown put the final nail in the coffins of many budget and mid-range hotels.
Bolstered by wealthy Thais and expats, five-star resorts managed to survive, even though they had to slash their premium rates. Restaurants and spas drove additional business.
But now, with no domestic or foreign tourists, even large resorts are closing down, at least temporarily.
The Hard Rock Hotel closed Jan. 7 with hopes of reopening Feb. 1, which a government shutdown order is set to expire. The hotel could extend the closure if the shutdown order is extended.
D Varee Jomtien Beach closed on Jan. 4 and has no plans to open until the coronavirus second wave has subsided.
Centara Grand Mirage also has closed temporarily, but is using the shutdown to do renovations, repairs and facility upgrades.
