Seymours on Lydiard Motel is booked out for the Easter holiday period while Ballarat Regional Tourism is reporting occupancy rates of 80 per cent for Easter across the city’s motels, with that percentage to rise further as the weekend approaches.

However, hotels are less bullish about Easter, with a lack of visitors and expensive staffing costs pointing to a less than festive season for some.

Seymours on Lydiard Motel owner Chelsea Maher said a full house indicated there were enough attractions in the city even without a formal festival. 

“We’re fully booked out, so Easter is a good time for us, obviously,” Mrs Maher said.

“Easter coincides with school holidays and people have come up for Sovereign Hill and their school holiday program.

“We also have bookings for people coming together for family get-togethers. We have some guests coming up from Melbourne, Western Australia, Canberra and a few internationals as well from China. 

“Having said that, Ballarat doesn’t do much for Easter. I think they could have some sort of event on.” 

Chris Sargent, who is co-owner of the Seymours Hotel next door to the motel, along with Freight Bar and Restaurant on Mair Street, said penalty rates for staff made Easter a bust for many hotels and restaurants.

“At Seymours, Easter is good to us. Having the motel attached to it is a boon for us,” Mr Sargent said.

“We already had people book with us, mainly family get-togethers, because Ballarat is a nice central point. 

“As an owner-operator, we can do it, but for others with staff it is hard because of the 2.75-times holiday loading. Now Sunday is a public holiday it makes it even harder. I think it puts pressure on the operators because of the four public holidays in a row.

“For that reason, a lot of other hotels close for Good Friday and Easter Monday. With Freight, we’re closing Friday and Monday and only doing 4pm ’til late on Saturday and Sunday. We close Seymours on Monday to have our annual staff party.” 

Ballarat Regional Tourism chief executive officer George Sossi said there were plenty of smaller events which would entertain visitors. 

“It’s not necessarily for Easter but, due to the school holiday period, all the major attractions have some holiday program. Kryal Castle has Alice in Wonderland and Ballarat Wildlife Park has its Birds of Prey shows.”

Meanwhile, the Anglican Dean of Ballarat, the Very Reverend Chris Chataway, said there was already a worldwide festival of some considerable importance happening at Easter and that perhaps Ballarat did not really need a separate one of its own. 

“Easter is our busiest time,” he said. “It is busy in two ways. Firstly, people come to a lot of churches on Good Friday to commemorate Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. And secondly, it is also our most joyful time on Easter Sunday.

“I think about 10 to 15 per cent would be people visiting the Cathedral from out of town.

“That might not be the same at all our parishes. In some parishes, all their parishioners go on holidays elsewhere. 

“Apollo Bay and Warrnambool would get a lot more as a percentage in terms of visitors at Easter.”

gavin.mcgrath@fairfaxmedia.com.au