Largest Hotel Markup on a Non Service Item

[Pleb Status]

What is the largest hotel markup for a non service item that you have seen recently?

I stayed at the Hilton KL Sentral last month and noted that a 325ml can of Diet Coke was MYR25.00 (or ~AUD7.80) on the minibar price list. This would be a bit expensive even for an equivalent hotel in a 'high cost' country.

At an 'upmarket' supermarket in the large shopping centre adjacent to the hotel, the same refrigerated can of Coke Zero was MYR1.40 (or ~AUD0.44). I assume it could have been even cheaper if I had shopped around a bit. The Hilton is therefore adding a 1686% markup on the retail price.

I have seen plenty of hotels gouging their customers on these items, but I cannot recall to this magnitude...

 

[Pushka]

How about $3000 for a bottle of Dom Perignon in Dubai? Not at a 6* restaurant - this was an outdoor cafe style place by the pool.

 

[Scarlett]

It's not just hotels. Most golf courses in Asia seem to charge 1000% markup on bottles of water, compared to the cost in any market, store or supermarket. In Cambodia last year the rate was USD4 for a bottle of water that would otherwise cost about 30c.

=capitalism

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Only ~$7.80 in KL? Try ~$9 at the Hilton Singapore! Hotel is literally next door to a convenience store where even the prices there are half as much.

 

[Boris spatsky]

M Hotel in Singapore. Bottle of water in minibar 10 SGD or two for 18 SGD. I was so hot when i came in that i bought the two! ðŸ

 

[NZflygirl]

How about $3000 for a bottle of Dom Perignon in Dubai? Not at a 6* restaurant - this was an outdoor cafe style place by the pool.

I was going to say it definitely has to be wine with the biggest mark up. That's when I head off to the store!

 

[Pushka]

M Hotel in Singapore. Bottle of water in minibar 10 SGD or two for 18 SGD. I was so hot when i came in that i bought the two! ðŸ

You can safely drink their tap water.

 

[Catweazle]

If there's a convenience store located conveniently nearby – or even a decently priced restaurant for that matter – beats me why anybody would pay that much for a few mls of Coke. But what the heck, everybody's different, so whatever floats their chickens!

By the way, did you press the magic button?

 

[jb747]

It's an ongoing battle isn't it. Hotels charge way too much, so people either buy outright from the nearest stores, or they use the item and then just replace it. Local stores are generally smart enough to stock exactly the same item as the hotel, so then the hotels start stocking odd items, which are probably even less attractive. Or they put stickers on 'their' items...which said stores often stock as well. And, at the nuclear level, they use high tech refrigerators that charge you if you even pick something up for a few seconds, and which make it impossible to store a sandwich for the middle of the night. At one place we stay, I always get them to empty the automated fridge, so that I can have so usable space.

But, nobody would mind a fair mark up...

 

[Boris spatsky]

You can safely drink their tap water.

But it tastes like metal ...

 

[JohnK]

Chang/Singha beer which at the time retailed for ~THB30 at 7Eleven (cheaper at Tesco Lotus/Big C etc) on display in mini bar price list at Intercontinental Bangkok and other hotels for THB200+.

 

[serfty]

...
But, nobody would mind a fair mark up...

Staying at a LAX airport hotel in March it was amazing the number of crew (presumably off duty) using "Purdy Liquor" for drinks, snacks & other basics.

It's nestled within a five minute walk of a dozen or more hotels.

goo.gl/maps/7Sy8LF2jALN2