Hotels see upswing in business as parties resort to corralling

MUMBAI: The turmoil in Maharashtra politics for more than a month now has translated into business for hotels in the city. This windfall comes after two quarters of below-par business for the sector, sources said.
In a bid to thwart any poaching attempt, parties started moving their MLAs into hotels after Presidents rule was imposed in the state on November 12. And now, ahead of the crucial floor test where the new government of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Ajit Pawar has to prove its majority, the rival Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine has intensified the movement of MLAs to various hotels across the city.
“Some hotels in Mumbai have had unexpected business, which is very good,” said Param Kannampilly, MD of Concept Hospitality, which operates The Fern chain. The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine has shifted most of its MLAs to city hotels rather than outside so that they can be quickly transported to the assembly for the floor test. The MLAs have been housed in properties mainly located in the suburbs, which has more number of rooms compared to south Mumbai. Security has been beefed up outside these hotels.
Also, check-ins are mostly happening over the weekends, when business hotels typically see tepid demand for rooms from corporate guests. Business has also risen at luxe hotels as political parties have had to take heed of complaints by MLAs about being forced to share rooms in smaRead More – Source