Regal Hotels International opened 350 rooms at its 1,200-room Regal Airport Hotel at Chek Lap Kok in a soft launch yesterday.
About 150 of the rooms were booked by travellers on the first day of operation, a spokesman said.
The hotel chain is offering a 50 per cent discount on room rates, charging about $1,000 a night.
Analysts said the response was a good sign, and Steve Kleinschmidt of PKF Consultants said: 'If they can operate at 50 per cent occupancy now, then they are doing OK.' Analysts said the challenge would be to generate clients other than Chek Lap Kok travellers.
Mr Kleinschmidt said Regal might find it more challenging to fill up the rest of the rooms amid the economic downturn.
'The scene today is very different than what was first envisioned when the hotel was first conceived.
