APEC·G20... Newlyweds and Tourists Face Travel Disruptions in Southeast Asia Plans

Blackout Prevents Booking at Famous Luxury Hotels
Reservation Confusion Due to Related Construction
Nearby Area Hotels Also See Price Surge

Homepage screen of the Bali Kempinski Hotel set to unavailable for reservations during the G20 Summit.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] So-min Park, who is going on her honeymoon to Bali, Indonesia in mid-November, decided to completely exclude the Nusa Dua area, famous for its pool villas, from her itinerary. This is because hotels near Nusa Dua, where the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit is being held, are not accepting accommodation reservations. Park had no choice but to book a hotel near Seminyak. She said, “Even places other than Nusa Dua are crowded with tourists, so prices have risen compared to usual. I am also very worried about expected road controls.”

With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the G20 Summit being held in Bangkok, Thailand, and Bali respectively, tourists and newlyweds planning trips to Southeast Asia in November are experiencing confusion. Luxury hotels where leaders and officials stay have implemented a ‘blackout’ period during which they do not accept room reservations ahead of the events. As a result, tourists are flocking to nearby hotels, causing prices to soar. Some hotels have even experienced reservation confusion, increasing the burden on visitors to tourist destinations.

According to industry sources on the 1st, the Bali Kempinski Hotel, known to accommodate officials during the G20 Summit, has set a blackout period during the third week of November when the summit takes place, making it impossible for the general public to make reservations. Additionally, since October 16, G20-related construction has been underway, and some guests scheduled to visit in October and November were advised to cancel or postpone their stays. This has caused confusion among those planning to stay, especially within Bali travel communities.

Hotel prices in nearby areas have also risen accordingly. As tourists move from Nusa Dua, where G20 controls are expected, to places like Seminyak and Ubud, the price of a deluxe room for a 2-night, 3-day stay at the Alila Seminyak Hotel, popular among newlyweds, increased by about 13%, from 650,000 KRW to 740,000 KRW on weekdays.

The same phenomenon occurred in Bangkok, where APEC is held from the 16th to the 18th of this month. The Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok is not accepting reservations for a week, including the event period. Consequently, the Carlton Hotel raised the price of a deluxe room for a 2-night, 3-day weekday stay from 300,000 KRW to 400,000 KRW during this period, and the Peninsula Hotel’s prices jumped from the usual 900,000 KRW to around 1,200,000 KRW.

An industry official explained, “When a summit is held, luxury hotels typically do not accept reservations for about one to two weeks to prepare for banquets and conduct explosive device inspections.” He added, “Rooms occupied by officials are also kept vacant on the floors above and below as ‘bumper floors’ to prevent accidents in emergencies, so it is inevitable that the general public cannot stay there.” However, he acknowledged that reservation cancellations and on-site confusion are clearly the hotel’s fault. He said, “Summits are usually prepared for months in advance, so there is enough time to prepare for reservation confusion. If it occurs, it is the hotel’s fault.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.