Manali: Even after having more bedding capacity than Delhi, the hotels and resorts of hill town Manali are fully occupied due to peak summer season. Tourists visiting Manali without making advance reservations are abusing their decisions as they are wandering streets of the town finding rooms in every hotel.
The summer season has gained momentum in Manali. The tourists are finding it hard to book a room in their desired hotel. Manali has more than 600 registered hotels and resorts with more capacity of more than 30,000 beds, beside around 110 home stay units. Even then almost all the hotels have already been reserved. Those visiting Manali without advance booking or confirmation are being annoyed by the unsuccessful search for room. The same scenario was being noticed in 2009 when many tourists had to spend all nights in their cars.
A tourist couple Adarsh and Sumitha from Jaipur who reached Manali on Tuesday late night in their private vehicle knocked at two dozen hotels and resorts but could not find a room for them. Talking to TOI, the desperate couple said, “We enquired at about 20 hotels situated adjacent to the highway in Manali but all said they have no room for us. Finally a local taxi driver guided us gently and made our reservation at a small guest house in a village somewhere. Guest house owner made his consent to provide us room on the condition that we would have to leave the room on Thursday morning. Now we are searching for another hotel.”
Ramesh Kapoor, general manager of hotel Samrat said tourists are making advance booking at least a week before their arrival and their hotel is all booked for June month. Harish Sharma, general manager of hotel Greenfield said their rooms are packed for next three weeks but they were receiving hundreds of enquiries for rooms. The same condition was in most of the hotels in Manali. Even most of the standard hotels are fully occupied.
Manali hoteliers’ association president Gajender Thakur said the regular snowfall on Rohtang pass has done the miracle and more than thirty thousand tourists are flocking to Manali every day. “We have been advising tourists to confirm their stay before coming here; otherwise, they may have to face many difficulties. If any guest faces such problems, they should consult the authorized office of hoteliers’ association on Mall Road,” he said.
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