As cash flows dwindle, how can PCOs get the best rates for clients seeking to incentivise their people? Andry Kurnyawan, Director of Public Relations and Marketing for the InterContinental Bali Resort, says solutions are simple, and self-evident.

Building and maintaining relationships with hotel MICE sales managers and demonstrating loyalty can result in special rates or added perks, says Andry. Planning and booking well in advance can also lead to lower rates and better use of facilities, especially for large events, he adds.

“Bundling accommodation with other services like catering, AV equipment [supply] and conference facilities can lead to overall savings too.”

In the case of IHG Hotels and Resorts, keeping an eye on the group’s promotions and special offers is a good idea. “Being flexible with event dates allows PCOs to take advantage of off-peak times when hotels are more likely to offer discounts,” Andry explains.

“And being a member of the IHG Rewards Club or similar loyalty programs can provide access to exclusive rates and additional benefits.”

 

During a recent visit to the Indonesian resort island, where IHG has 14 properties ranging from Holiday Inns to the luxury Six Senses marque, The Siteseer learned that the periods just before and after the Christmas and Easter peak holiday seasons are best for accommodation and meeting space deals. In Bali, the ‘shoulder’ seasons are typically April to June and September to early November, according to Andry Kurnyawan. The low season is generally from January to March.

IHG hotels in Bali obviously offer a broad variety of facilities, from small meeting rooms to conference halls that cater to 2,000. The new, oceanfront Jimbaran Convention Center, set within the InterContinental Bali Resort (seven kilometres from the airport), has the largest MICE space in the Jimbaran area and among IHG Bali Hotels.

Frequent business travelers and corporate clients can access IHG’s loyalty programs and perks, like special offers, priority check-in and exclusive facilities, says Andry, while the group’s commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting local communities may appeal to businesses for which corporate social responsibility is a key issue – “making it a smart choice for sustainable travel”.

In addition, the island’s ability to integrate professional and recreational experiences ensures that attendees can have a memorable and productive stay, Andry says.

The Siteseer’s home for a few days recently was the Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali, a red-roofed, rather atypical Holiday Inn complex set in lush tropical gardens alongside a sandy beach close to Denpasar airport.

Considering how delightful the staff and surroundings are, leisure and meetings guests get excellent value for money when making a booking here.

Full-board residential meeting packages with lunches, dinners, use of meeting rooms and the works thrown in start from around AUD 100 per person. Breakfast is included in the room rate, and exemplifies the kind of sumptuous fare so often found in good hotels in Indochina. (This scribe, in particular, appreciates the freshly cut papaya.)

Given the quality of this resort’s rooms, food and service, it’s not surprising that business is good, here and in Bali generally. In the first six months of 2024, 2,910,679 foreign tourists came to the island.

With a Holiday Inn Express – the InterContinental Hotels group’s chain offering limited services at a reasonable price – set next door to the resort property, there’s plenty of extra accommodation for delegates who need it.

The biggest of the MICE facilities on the resort property is the Cinnamon Ballroom, which can accommodate 150 banquet-style or up to 250 for receptions and conferences.

Altogether, five meeting rooms at the resort cover almost six thousand square metres. PCOs interested in organising a gala dinner in the vast gardens or on lawns adjacent to the beach can do that as well.

The room rate, as mentioned, is outstanding value given the quality of the accommodation and surrounds. The resort flanks a beach dotted with bathers and leisure craft and is just 1.5 kilometres from the airport. (Actually within walking distance of the airport, or a five-minute cab ride). It’s located in the heart of Bali’s key leisure and business districts.

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