Hotel profiteering
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