SINGAPORE, Dec 23 — Some hotels here are enjoying a festive jump in staycation bookings, and it is not due to the tepid economic conditions.

The hotels said more guests are seeking a hassle-free escape, while some staycationers, especially those with young children, said it was more convenient.

Staycation bookings at W Singapore-Sentosa Cove have risen about 10 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

Lin Liangmin, the hotel’s marketing communications director, said the occupancy rate had picked up significantly since the second week of last month and the momentum would continue till year’s end.

Likewise, at the Royal Plaza on Scotts, general manager Patrick Fiat said more people were taking up staycations this holiday season.

Its occupancy rate this month hovers between “high 80 per cent and low 90 per cent”, compared with a touch below 80 per cent in December last year.

The number of locals who have booked staycation packages at Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford has also risen by about 3 to 5 per cent this festive season.

W Singapore’s Lin attributed the rising demand not only to the school holidays, but also to the fact that more Singaporeans prize a getaway without the hassle and higher cost of overseas travel.

Staycations are popular because they come without time-consuming activities such as waiting for flights and commuting, she said. They are also easier on the pocket, while still offering the attributes of a good holiday, such as buffet breakfasts, Lin added.

Fiat ascribed the jump at the Royal Plaza on Scotts to a campaign focused on locals for the festive season, a move prompted by a high demand for staycations.

Under the promotion, which comes with breakfast for two, the hotel has shaved its best available price by 10 per cent since October.

The strong local demand this year also spurred Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford to roll out a new staycation room package this month.

Excluding taxes, nightly staycation rates, including breakfast for two, at the Royal Plaza on Scotts start from S$197 (RM608) for a superior room, while at W Singapore, they start from S$480 on weekdays and S$600 on weekends.

For some staycationers, various factors, including convenience and time pressures, have kept them at home over the holidays.

Pricing analyst Yvette Kan, 31, who has a one-year-old daughter and is expecting a second child, said staycations are less taxing on parents with young children.“When you carry a toddler around, there are quite a lot of things to prepare and carry,” said Kan, who will be taking a two-night family staycation at the Grand Park Orchard Hotel from Sunday.

Management consultant Jamie Ko, 28, said staycations are ideal for time-pressed individuals.

A Chua Chu Kang resident, who wanted to be known only as Ng, has taken about seven staycations over the past five years.

Ng, 36, said such breaks allow his family to explore places they do not regularly visit, such as East Coast Park.

However, as his two-year-old son grows up, he might venture overseas more often. “You’d probably run out of places (in Singapore) to stay at in time,” said Ng, who works in risk management. ― TODAY