Upmarket hotels in Indonesia's flooded capital were enjoying a boom Monday as wealthier victims sought refuge after their homes were inundated. Waters up to four metres (13 feet) high have swamped parts of Jakarta since Thursday night as rivers and canals burst their banks following days of torrential rain, forcing almost 350,000 to abandon their homes.
For many who could afford it, the city's luxury hotels offered a far more comfortable sanctuary and wider variety of diet than a sleeping mat on the floor and rations distributed by volunteers.
The five-star Hotel Borobudur, located in an older and so far unflooded part of the city near the state palace, saw occupancy soar to 94 percent on Friday when the floods began to hit the city, spokeswoman Franciska Kansil told AFP.
"Many of our clients first made sure that our hotel ground was not flooded, and some made sure that even their parked car would be alright," said Kansil.
She said occupancy in the past months had averaged 70 percent. Rates at the 695-room hotel start at 720,000 rupiah (79 dollars).
In West Jakarta's Grogol area, the posh Ciputra Hotel has seen a similar boost in business.
"Our occupancy rose to 92 percent this weekend from the regular weekend level of 70 to 80 percent," said director of sales Thea Gunardhi.
"The pick-up was because a lot of people from the flooded communities in the area moved to our hotel," she said, adding that most came without prior reservations.
But not all hotels saw an increase.
The Shangri-La did not register "any significant raise in occupancy percentage," communications director Ratna Sjamsiar Idris said.
"We are not trying to make a profit out of this disaster," she said, adding that the hotel had reduced its room rate for locals looking for a safe haven.
She did not offer an explanation as to why the hotel was not enjoying a boost in business but access to it has been affected with nearby roads flooded.
