Stop Going Bananas over Expensive Boiled Eggs! Visiting a 5-Star Hotel Should Not Give You a Reason to Complain About High Prices

The internet is going bananas over the high pricing by some luxury hotels for some of the most basic items. After actor Rahul Bose tweeted about paying Rs 442 for two bananas, another Twitter user named Kartik Dhar revealed that he had to pay Rs 1700 for two boiled eggs. Both these instances left netizens in shock and many complained about the exorbitant pricing for the "basics". All of them spared little thought about the initial choice that had been made by the patrons themselves, to get an exclusive and luxurious experience. When heading out to 5-star hotels, one should have already anticipated the bills will be excessively high. So one needs to be ready to shell out a little (too) extra on the final bill.

The 5-star properties, be it JW Marriot of the Four Seasons hotel, have a reputation to maintain. These high-end hotels provide an experience that one would definitely not get in regular hotels. Their objective is to offer luxurious amenities. And haven't we heard already that "Luxury comes at a price"? So while one makes the choice of dining or residing at a place that boasts about being fine-dine and opulence, how does one negotiate on the pricing? Man Pays £20 for a Boiled Egg, Tea & Toast, but It’s Totally Worth It! Viral Thread Explains Why.

In case of JW Marriot episode with Rahul Bose, a fine of Rs 25,000 has been imposed on the hotel because they were at a fault. A preliminary probe was conducted and the Excise and Taxation Department found they levied Goods and Service Tax on exempted items- fresh fruits. A pair of bananas or boiled eggs, both if purchased on a roadside stall, would not cost more than Rs 40 for sure. But can you be sure about the quality of these items when you buy them from a roadside stall? The bills clearly show that even other foodstuffs that were ordered at the star hotels come at double the price, then why would a banana or a boiled egg be exempted from luxe pricing?

A point to note here, is even on visiting a regular restaurant, the price will be more than what you get on the roadside. There is price parity when you have an egg on a roadside stall and in a hotel. So while regular hotel pricing is a little higher too, we do not see people complaining about that. There is a reason why luxury dining goes on the costlier side.

Possible Reasons for High Pricing

• When a restaurant/hotel promises to give an exclusive experience, it starts from the infrastructure itself. Once you enter a 5-star property, you get to experience its grandness and glamour. The infrastructure of the overall hotel along with the interior of the rooms defines a class of its own. All of this requires maintenance, which is again expensive.
• The chefs that are catering to the restaurant services also have fat salaries. They are mostly the top-grade, star-bearing chefs who demand a big salary. Be it just boiling an egg or preparing a delicious egg curry, these highly-qualified chefs charge a premium for their skills.
• Providing electricity and water supply in your luxe hotel room at all times is a given. But you'll observe that the fancy lights in the lobbies, passages, lifts, clubhouses are constantly lit up. So imagine the electricity bill, can you?
• Owning or running a luxurious property requires a license, which again comes at a whopping price. So maintaining the business and its 5-star ranking require a heavy cash inflow.
• The most important aspect of this business is maintaining the classy, elite crowd they are catering to. Even an upper-middle-class person may have to think twice before heading out there. So it is an experience that is curated for the rich and affluent. Most regular clients visiting here are celebrities, businessmen and the likes who can afford it in the first place.

So for these reasons, 5-star hotels are justified in charging a bomb for two bananas and boiled eggs.  The point here is, when one makes a choice to visit a luxury restaurant, it is understood that one will have to shell out much more money. There is actually not much point ranting about it on social media. If one cannot afford to pay that price, one should simply refrain from going there. Because if it's luxury you want, you cannot be unwilling to pay.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2019 03:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).