Take in an expansive view of the Arabian Sea from the 31st floor of the Oberoi Hotel on Marine Drive. Relax in the lap of its extravagant 800-sq-ft executive suite complete with a living room, a bedroom, a glass-enclosed bathroom with an LCD TV and a shower cubicle big enough for two.
Oberoi is offering the opulent suite at a jaw-dropping Rs 18,000 a night, 72% less than the rack rate of Rs 65,000.
That's not all. The offer includes complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi and airport transfers in the Audi A8 sedan.
Down south in the heart of Bangalore, Taj Vivanta is selling its deluxe suites at more than half the rate of Rs 33,000 anight — at Rs 14,500. And Leela Palace Udaipur is offering its royal suites for Rs 70,000 for two nights, which it otherwise sells for Rs 75,000 a night. Designed to pamper you, Leela's freebies include breakfast, two-way airport transfers, foot massage on arrival, a welcome basket of sparkling wine and chocolates, and an exotic 60-minute bath.
Five-star hotels have unleashed a rate war to fill up rooms as the lean season is about to set in: from April to September, travel demand drops, driving down demand for hotel rooms.
Usually, hotels don't promote suites in a big way. But this time, they have launched schemes like 'suite surprise' and 'royal odyssey' to boost business. "Our special deal is for guests to experience our suites, a platform to understand luxury. Once they get hooked on to the luxury experience, they will become repeat customers," said Varun Chhibber, manager at the 287-room Oberoi Hotel.