Park Hotels
www.parkworld-online.com “
Not all
attraction visitors can afford higher end stays. People are looking for the best deal and making their reservations later than in previous years. Disney is trying to reduce discounting but finding it necessary to fill the properties
Dennis Speigel, ITPS
Walt Disney World, Florida
attraction markets must be built on demand,” according to Speigel. “When Disney opened the first hotels surrounding Disneyland Paris, they experienced a very low occupancy rate, in the high 30% range. The company could not sustain this and closed the hotels for an extended period.” “There are several factors to consider for success,” offers Aaen. “These include scale and type of theme park (local, regional or major destination), location (urban, suburban or rural), market (seasonal or year- round) possible second gate attraction (ie. a waterpark) and adjacent attractions and tourism products. Each case is unique, however, parks achieving attendance between 1.5 and over 2 million annual visitors can often sustain hotel development.” “A hotel typically requires a 65% occupancy rate to flow positively,” adds Speigel. “The seasonality of a regional park makes this very difficult. This is why we have seen fewer hotels developed around regional operations.”
Like the park itself, the new Tivoli Hotel in the heart of Copenhagen can feed off a ready supply of tourists and business travellers in addition to park guests. Yet not all parks enjoy such prime city centre
Of course, many of these “free” extras are factored into the package rate and, together with the theming and location, make it hard to make like for like comparisons with outside properties. “Hotels located adjacent to or integrated within major theme parks generally achieve strong occupancy rates and industry average or premium room rates based on the value added experience,” notes Aaen. All this in addition to, “on-site economic activity from restaurants, retail and entertainment (shows etc).” Yet before you rush out and draw up plans for a hotel on your property, be warned: “Hotels in
Schäferwagen
Trust Tripsdrill to do something a little bit quirky when it comes to providing on-site accommodation. Last season the German park near Stuttgart added these charming
“Schäferwagen”
(shepherd caravans) allowing visitors to enjoy a short break in the Stromberg-Heuchelberg wine region, with all the park's rides and attractions close at hand. Built by a local carpenter, each caravan sleeps up to five, and also includes a television, fridge, fan and washing facilities. The wooden finish is in keeping with Tripsdrill's overall theming, but the Schäferwagen also provide a subtle nod to the many sheep that graze near the park. Prices have yet to be confirmed for the coming
season, but last year each caravan was available from €148 ($201) per night including breakfast, linen and towels, but excluding park admission. Tripsdrill's 2011 season begins on April 16.
www.tripsdrill.de
Hotel Matamba at Phantasialand, Germany
36 FEBRUARY 2011
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