Ok, not specific to TH but since I am in the holiday mood I thought I would ask the question to those connected to the hotel industry here:

Why do hotels put a mandatory charge for NY eve dinner?

With the 4 day holiday fast approaching, many people (like me) are considering getting away for a few days but all decent hotels it seems feel its ok to add /demand this autocharge.

High season rates not enough-need to squeeze your guests even more?

How about we start a list of hotels (decent ones-3 star up) in the country that don't practice this poor behaviour and let the market decide?

Any suggestions in Pattaya, Hua Hin etc?

I am not in the hotel business, and I agree with you James, but there is another side to the argument.

Many guests at this time do want these 'gala' dinners. The problem for the hotel is 'how many guests?' Then you would have people who booked saying that they have changed their mind and people who have not booked saying that they want to come.

Make it compulsary and problem solved. No of beds = no of dinners. At least the charge is all up front. You know when you book it.

As you say - vote with your feet. Problem solved

I am voting with my feet and wallet, just because someone chooses to give the hotel some business, is no reason for a blanket surcharge for something I hazard to guess 75% of guests don't want.

Rant over_for now

I am retired here in Chiang Dao. I book New Years every year at the Chiangmai Orchid Hotel. The gala dinner is the best I have seen in most of Thailand. There buffet cost $26.00 US per person and it is well worth it. The gala dinner is an International dinner which is really great. The also give out over 100 prizes by drawing dinner ticket number. You could win hotel stays for 3 nights all over Thailand. They also have drawings for many other prizes. It is well worth the price.

Dan

I am not in the hotel business, and I agree with you James, but there is another side to the argument.

Many guests at this time do want these 'gala' dinners. The problem for the hotel is 'how many guests?' Then you would have people who booked saying that they have changed their mind and people who have not booked saying that they want to come.

Make it compulsary and problem solved. No of beds = no of dinners. At least the charge is all up front. You know when you book it.

As you say - vote with your feet. Problem solved

I was invited to attend a gala dinner at a Samui hotel a few years ago. The hotel had charged my friend $100 for this, that is $50 per person on the basis of two sharing a room even though only one occupant.

I had a piece of bread some salad and a bit of ham. The rest of the items looked like rehashed breakfast style stuff.

No complaints about a buffet offering spit roasts or carvery style meat...seafood and lobster etc. But $50 per head for what was on offer there was a con pure and simple.

Far more hotels have jumped on the bandwagon in this way rather than the reasons you state.

Luckily there are hordes of non 'decent' hotels that don't have this problem

Edited December 20, 201114 yr by DP25

something I hazard to guess 75% of guests don't want.

I would say the inverse is more likely true - especially at the 4-5 star places, most people will want the lavish spread the hotel will be putting on. And, as the dinner is usually much more lavish than their "normal" dinners, they don't want to be caught short providing loads of extra expensive food which doesn't get accounted for. Not really sure what the big deal is - you have to eat somewhere on those gala dinner nights and, assuming you want to splash out a bit for a celebration, why not have that celebratory meal at the hotel? You can eat elsewhere for every other night of your stay. If it really is a deal-breaker though, there are plenty of places without these surcharges.

I wouldn't mind paying over the top for a buffet bellagio style, but 3k for some shrimp, somtum and locally smoked salmon and piss poor filipina band because its dec 31 is really taking it.

never again. The mandatory 2000bht gala ball/dinner ROFL! had better 200 bht buffets

Pull the vegetarian-special diet card.

Ok, not specific to TH but since I am in the holiday mood I thought I would ask the question to those connected to the hotel industry here:

Why do hotels put a mandatory charge for NY eve dinner?

With the 4 day holiday fast approaching, many people (like me) are considering getting away for a few days but all decent hotels it seems feel its ok to add /demand this autocharge.

High season rates not enough-need to squeeze your guests even more?

How about we start a list of hotels (decent ones-3 star up) in the country that don't practice this poor behaviour and let the market decide?

Any suggestions in Pattaya, Hua Hin etc?

Even worse, I see hotels doubling their hotel rates for one night on Christmas or New Years. Such BS. I hate a place telling me what I "will" enjoy or "need" to do. I am the paying customer. One yeare I was in Pattaya and I moved out and then back in the next day. The hotel was not full, despite them telling me they were full. So I caught them lying flat out. Disgusting practice

Yep, we will spend the 4 day long weekend in bangkok.

Let's see 3x 4k a night for nice hotel in patts, 2x 1500 + 1x 750 mandatory ny dinner for me my wife and son+travel and other expenses= 20+k saved min-about one months rent.

Sorry patters, I have better fireworks on the river where we live in bkk anyway, see you in feb at 1/4 the cost.

Yes, I've been caught by that. I don't mind if it's by MY CHOICE, but I don't like it when it is assumed that ALL farangs must want a "gala" international food dinner at Christmas and New Year's Eve.

On another slightly different point, many tears ago when I was a Patpong regular, there was a bar that I frequented regularly that had a buffet dinner each New Year's eve....you purchased a ticlet for the buffet and two free drinks. Also included was the right to pareticipate in 3 raffle drawings...a prize given to one lucky customer at each drawing.

Can you guess what the prize was?

I haven't been a Patpong barfly in quite a long time...but I suspect that prize isn't given out free any more on Patpong for quite a while now.

Yes, I've been caught by that. I don't mind if it's by MY CHOICE, but I don't like it when it is assumed that ALL farangs must want a "gala" international food dinner at Christmas and New Year's Eve.

On another slightly different point, many tears ago when I was a Patpong regular, there was a bar that I frequented regularly that had a buffet dinner each New Year's eve....you purchased a ticlet for the buffet and two free drinks. Also included was the right to pareticipate in 3 raffle drawings...a prize given to one lucky customer at each drawing.

Can you guess what the prize was?

I haven't been a Patpong barfly in quite a long time...but I suspect that prize isn't given out free any more on Patpong for quite a while now.