The Sherwood Hotel has announced it will be closing its doors on Feb. 15, 2022 after 30 years in business, citing the pandemic and peripheral restrictions. One expert says the hotel simply couldn't overcome high operating costs and low occupancy rates.
Reporter: “Are you sad?”
Sherwood's Employee: “Of course.”
Taipei's Sherwood Hotel is closing after 32 years in business. On the 30th, it announced its application for expediting the reconstruction of unsafe and old buildings had been approved and it would be closing for good on Feb. 15, 2022. One frequent guest was very saddened to hear the news. She was the second person after international superstar Ouyang Fei-fei to accumulate 1,000 nights at the hotel.
Ms. Liu, Frequent Sherwood Hotel Guest: “I was the second person to accumulate 1,000 nights. When I saw the news this morning, I wanted to know why the Sherwood was closing. I was very surprised that even the Sherwood is closing.”
The Sherwood opened in 1990. Situated near Songshan Airport on Minsheng East Road Section 3, it is a 5-star hotel with 320 rooms. Margaret Thatcher stayed at the hotel twice, while George H.W. Bush and his wife stayed once. One tourism expert says the hotel had a difficult time making a profit because of high fixed operating costs. He expects other hotels to face the same fate with occupancy rates remaining low if they cannot divert other ways to win business.
Chen Chia-yu, Associate Tourism Professor, Shih Hsin University: “The Sherwood isn't in the best location and they've been in the red for a long time. This was very challenging for the operator.”
According to statistics, the number of licensed hotels in Taiwan fell from 3,389 in October 2020 to 3,367 in October 2021, meaning 22 hotels closed during the period. The government is currently trying to turn 10 percent of hotels into social housing with subsidies. Another option some hotels are taking is transitioning into an office building.
記者詢問西華飯店員工，會不會感到不捨? 員工表示:「當然會啊!」
32年老飯店，台北西華飯店也吹熄燈號。30日晚間發聲明稿指出，飯店已申請危老條例重建核准，加上疫情未明朗、邊境未開，決定在2022年2月15日劃下句點。聽聞消息，不少房客感到震驚，尤其這位資深房客最有感，因為她是繼國際巨星歐陽菲菲之後，第二位達成住房一千晚的客人。
西華飯店資深房客劉小姐說：「我是第二個達到一千個晚上的客，早上我看到這個新聞，說什麼西華要關門，對啊，我嚇一跳，連西華都要關掉。」
台北西華飯店，1990年代成立，位在台北市民生東路三段，靠近松山機場，擁320間客房，是享譽國際的五星級飯店，國際知名政要都曾住過，包括英國前首相柴契爾夫人曾兩度入住，還有美國前總統老布希夫婦也曾入住。觀光學者分析，大飯店人事成本高，加上設備、客房內裝甚至是租金等等，這些典型固定成本，幾乎是天天在燒錢，如果無法轉型，在住房率無法提升情況下，不排除還會有飯店吹熄燈號。
世新觀光系副教授陳家瑜分析，「像西華它本身的地理優勢沒有這麼好的情況之下，對於他們在未來的營運上面，一直不斷的入不敷出的長期負債的情況，這個的確對於業者來講，是需要有一個比較大的轉圜。」
交通部觀光局資料顯示，去年10月，全台飯店旅館家數有3389家，2021年10月衰退為3367家，歇業、關門的業者有22家。有學者表示，目前政府規劃透過補助方式，讓全台一成飯店房間轉型為社會住宅。除了改成防疫旅館，也有業者主動出擊，轉為企業辦公室，在疫情衝擊下另找出路。