Holiday season is drawing near, and Bali will again be busy after months of little tourist activity.

With the scare over Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), in the past, and a more stable security condition, star-rated hotels and luxury resorts on Bali are hoping for the best.

Since 2002, when Bali suffered a devastating bomb attack, the number of visitors to the island has dwindled.

Hotel owners and managers have been faced with tough decisions on how to meet skyrocketing costs without optimum occupancy. Consequently, hotel occupancy rates, which averaged at between 60 percent and 90 percent in early 2002, plunged to as low as 15 percent after the Oct.12, 2002 blasts

Many tourists, who were formerly Bali regulars, turned to other destinations in neighboring Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam for their holidays.

During the two-year ""down period"", a number of resorts here underwent major renovations.

Keke Hidayat, director of public relations at the Intercontinental Resort Bali in Jimbaran area, said hotels on the island needed to work extra hard to compete with their counterparts in Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands.

""We can't just sit and wait for guests to appear. There are so many proactive options,"" she said.

After a year-long renovation process, the hotel is now ready to welcome families with its Jimbaran Holiday Deal. Unlike other hotels, where children are an afterthought, the Bali Intercontinental perceives that as June and July are a long school holiday, children should be a priority.

The hotel expects an influx of guests in that period: ""We have taken bookings from Australia, Japan and a small number of European guests, as well as from Asian countries, like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and China,"" she added.

Domestically, she said, there would also be greater interest this year, but Keke was counting on local guests typically booking at the last minute.

Keke highlighted some of the treats that would be available to children at the hotel. There would be Balinese dance classes, kite-making, handicraft and sports activities, she said.

And for parents and other adults, relaxation and luxury await. Keke mentioned a massage on the beach as one way to unwind, while the children would fly their new kites and enjoy the open space that Bali offers.

The newly opened Conrad Bali Resort and Spa is another more-than-attractive option. This sophisticated and luxurious resort is located at Tanjung Benoa, providing guests with stunning views and ambience.

Indeed, there are many luxury resorts to choose from, located in Sanur, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Ubud, Tabanan and Buleleng, North Bali.

Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort in Nusa Dua, for instance, has recently renovated its 495 guest rooms. The resort gives businesspeople the chance to leave the office, without totally losing touch with work. It offers high-speed Internet access in 125 of its rooms.

Like Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort, the Westin Resort, formerly known as Sheraton Nusa Indah Resort, in Nusa Dua complex, has also finished refurbishing its facilities, with total spending hitting US$5 million.

The Westin Resort offers 355 luxurious guest rooms and suites, where modern facilities meet Balinese hospitality.

The Westin Resort is connected to the Bali International Convention Center, which boasts comprehensive and spacious meeting and exhibition facilities. For businesspeople who are also parents, this is an ideal situation.

Actually, the island's tourist industry has some pretty good deals for children. Bali Hilton International is another example. The relaunched Kids Club named Wayan Made Kids Club has a great adventure playground.

The US$60,000 refurbishment includes a new rope climbing-frame, which covers an area of over 400 square meters, with 8 levels rising to a height of well over three meters.

""Safety and security was a major consideration. There is a wall around the entire Kids Club with child-proof entry and exit points,"" said Happy Soebianto, public relations manager of Bali Hilton.

Deddy Sasmita, public relations manager of Hard Rock Bali, feels optimistic about the holiday season, and for good reason, ""We are fully booked,"" he said.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta