Dhanbad’s hospitality business is gaining momentum amid a host of factors including revival of business sentiments and the mega wedding season over the recent weeks, with more than 70 per cent occupancy rate being witnessed at hotels in the town.

The wedding season, which will take place from November 25 to December 15, has prompted over 5,000 marriages being scheduled at Dhanbad, giving the hospitality sector in the town a hope to revive the industry.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Wednesday, Senior General Manager of Skylark Hotel, Anutosh Bagchi, said, “We have almost 70 to 75 per cent occupancy on all the dates during the wedding season of November 25 to December 15.”

“The banquet halls are also booked for all the nine lagan dates scheduled between November 25 to December 15,” he added.

Citing the example of Tuesday, when 18 out of 37 rooms of the hotel are booked for corporate customers, Bagchi said, “Besides the marriage related bookings we are getting good corporate bookings due to revival of business sentiments.”

“We are also getting direct bookings by some of the guests arriving during the wedding season from other places to the district to attend marriages of relatives, friends and so on,” the manager added.

“We are strictly observing all the Covid-19 norms in the peak season and intensive sanitisation is being carried out across all the 37 rooms, reception, banquet halls, and lounge” said Bagchi, adding that once the guests occupy their rooms, hotel staff do not enter in them.

“We have also made a mandatory provision for thermal scanning of all the guests inside the banquet halls during the weddings. No guests will be allowed inside the banquet hall without masks,” he clarified.

Sandeep Narang, owner of 17 Degree Hotel, Dhanbad, seemed to be echoing sentiments. Indeed the hospitality business has renewed to some extent due to various factors including the revival of business sentiments and we are also witnessing good booking ranging upto to 40 per cent.”

“The bookings during the season have increased significantly and we have also received more than 60 per cent bookings for the entire season”, Vinay Singh, owner of Ramson Hotel, Dhanbad, said.

Revealing the key factor for the increased number of bookings, he added, “The main reason for the increase in bookings during this wedding season is the huge number of marriages scheduled in Dhanbad. During the previous season of June to July, only a few people had got married. Also, after December 15, also there are no lagan dates till next June or July.”

“The increased awareness about personal safety during the pandemic era has prompted several guests arriving from outside during this season to make their own arrangement of safer stay in the hotels instead of stay arrangements made by the hosts” said Singh.