Hotel profiteering

Wanting a relief from the hectic pace of a Jakarta lifestyle, and having an extended weekend due to Idul Fitri holidays, my expatriate family and I visited the island of Lombok. Having previously "booked" a special "Lebaran Rate" at the Novotel Coralia at the southern area of the island, I looked forward to some solitude that could refresh our family bond.

Lombok was pleasant both in its beauty and people. The Novotel was a pleasurable stay with a very friendly and courteous staff. That was until the bill arrived. The advertised rate of US$90 was increased when paid in rupiah at a rate of Rp 12,000/dollar, a figure much higher than the going rate at the time of Rp 9,500. To make matters worse, the hotel would only exchange hard currency dollars at Rp 7,500. Since both rates involve conversion of dollars, shouldn't they be equivalent? The answer supplied to me by the expatriate manager was that the conversion rate was based upon the current rate he saw on CNN despite the existence of a hotel front desk memorandum that instructed a billing rate to be Rp 12,000 effective coincidentally during the same period of the "Lebaran" special.

Since the rooms were advertised to be about 35 percent discounted from regular rates, the inappropriate exchange rate reflects a 50 percent increase over the hotel's differential and 26 percent increase over the going rate.

In conclusion, the room discount appears to be a farce. I was also told later that I was not the only one who complained that week concerning this matter. I feel hesitant to discuss the matter of extravagance during a period in which my less fortunate brothers are experiencing inflation of basic commodities, but it illustrates relatively at the very least.

In a return stopover in Bali the next day, I was impressed that the Nikko Bali Hotel maintained an equivalent (and displayed) billing/exchange rate of Rp 9,500/dollar. I commend their practice because it illustrates a fair and reasonable way of doing business. It would be wise for those planning a vacation in the near future to inquiry and confirm hotel billing and exchange rates prior to arrival to avoid any surprises upon checking out.

MOCH. NORMAN A.S.

Jakarta