Five-star hotels cancel some of their New Year's Eve parties for lack of clients

The biggest five-star hotel in Bucharest, JW Marriott, has decided at the last minute to cancel New Year's Eve parties in two restaurants out of a total of five announced locations amid a lack of demand from the market. As a result, the number of guests that the hotel's restaurants can accommodate for the New Year's Eve party is down from 950 to 680-700. "There is no point in investing in decorating the restaurants and in additional menus, considering that the seats may be left empty," said Dina Litzica, PR and marketing manager of JW Marriott. The hotel recorded a 22% turnover decline in the first ten months of the year against the similar period of last year and a 60% average occupancy rate. The parties in the Cucina and Champions restaurants have been cancelled, with the only offers still standing being those for the Grand Ballroom, Constanta and Cupola halls, where the price of a New Year's Eve package is 920 RON (215 euros) per person. At five-star hotel Radisson, a little more than half of the available New Year's Eve party packages (56%) have been booked, out of a total of 480 in four locations in the hotel. Crowne Plaza hotel, controlled by businessman George Copos, currently has 70% of its packages booked for the New Year's party. "We chose to organise the party in only one location that can seat 160 and cancelled the party at the Brasserie restaurant where we accommodated 120 last year," said Larisa Budaca, director of sales&marketing of Crowne Plaza Bucharest hotel.