Two-Tier Pricing for Hotels ..

Hi All

I hope that some of the travel agents frequenting these hallowed pages can settle this one for me ...

I was chatting to a friend who is a frequent visitor to India and he maintains that Hotel charges are not the same for a local Indian and for a foreigner or NRI. This particular friend always goes to India first and then does his bookings through a travel agent in Mumbhai paying in RPS and using a local address.

My experience suggests otherwise ... as in higher end hotels have a tarrif card which is the same regardless of where you are from ... I am aware of the 2-tier pricing for flights but Hotels ??

It may well happen but it isn't the norm in anyway!! Indians are perhaps better at haggling the price down but that's another story!!
I've actually spoken to several hotel owners who won't give any discount to Indians as they generally only stay one night and are really quite tough to deal with.
Not something I agree with but there you go, I think your friend has been mislead!!
The tarrif is there for all to see!!
I have encountered a couple of places that wanted to charge me in Dollars??? I never stayed in these places and left after giving them a stern lecture!!
Perhaps it's travel agents who apply these different tarrifs now that I can easily believe!!

Hi Mickey,

I think your friend is exactly right. Normally I get better prices through indian travel agents that directly with the hotel. Is a nonsense but is like that.

Hotel Tarriff are almost useless, they play in many cases cases with the price as they wish.

As an exemple, I'm going to Karnataka..., next end November, some of the Lodges (Kabini and Kali) have different prices officially quoted for foreigners (in US $) and for indians in Ruppees and quite cheaper.

As another exemple I've booked some of the hotels in Mumbai and Karnataka through travel agents as they were giving me better price that the same hotels via email without intermediaries.

When I was young I worked as an export agent for foodstuffs and other items ..., my main work was to get better prices and service for the buyers than doing directly with the factories..., is a nice and an old job always useful.