75 for 3 bottles of water normal in london?
Discussion
Disastrous said:
Exactly. What sort of fking loser would go for a no expense spared slap up afternoon in a hotel lobby?
I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
That's what your Holiday Inn and Double Tree's are for....I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
toohuge said:
Disastrous said:
Exactly. What sort of fking loser would go for a no expense spared slap up afternoon in a hotel lobby?
I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
That's what your Holiday Inn and Double Tree's are for....I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
Are you seriously suggesting people would go to a hotel such as this during the day, to just 'hang out' and spend £25 a head? Madness.
Disastrous said:
toohuge said:
Disastrous said:
Exactly. What sort of fking loser would go for a no expense spared slap up afternoon in a hotel lobby?
I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
That's what your Holiday Inn and Double Tree's are for....I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
Are you seriously suggesting people would go to a hotel such as this during the day, to just 'hang out' and spend £25 a head? Madness.
Disastrous said:
you'd have to be the worst sort of pervert to actually go to a city hotel for a afternoon out .
This just in:Officers tasked on Operation Yewtree have been immediately retasked to investigate individuals frequenting city hotels for an afternoon out.
Suspects include everyone from powerfully built directors, hipster .com types to celebrities meeting reporters posing as arabs trying to score coke.
D.C.I Plod said today "it really is scandalous, it goes on in broad daylight in places that should mostly be frequented by high class prostitutes and their clients. Sat around drinking overpriced bottles of water and lattes with prepacked shortbread biscuits, they are the worst kind of perverts and it must be stopped."
Gary Glitter recently spotted checking out the Hilton's lounge was unavailable for comment but denied involvement in what police are now saying is the sort of behaviour that requires immediate legislation before hotel lobbies become overrun with dedicated rings co-ordinated by internet groups.
"it starts out with water and complimentary biscuits, before we know where we are they'll be demanding beds for the night and meals. They are treating this place like a bloody hotel. It's sickening."
Disastrous said:
I'd consider 4pm 'during the day' but not been in London for a few months so not up on current fashions.
It's about the time of day when a business meeting turns into a "business meeting" (i.e. an excuse for a piss-up). Nobodies going to be going back to the office afterwards.Its all about knowing where to go.
Had a business meeting in the bar in Browns the other day in Mayfair. Cost me two coffees and one bottle of sparkling water - about £11/12 I recall. No minimum charge.
I even ate so many nuts the barman topped them up for me without charge. I guess i don't have MUG tattooed on my forehead.
Had a business meeting in the bar in Browns the other day in Mayfair. Cost me two coffees and one bottle of sparkling water - about £11/12 I recall. No minimum charge.
I even ate so many nuts the barman topped them up for me without charge. I guess i don't have MUG tattooed on my forehead.
Edited by toppstuff on Wednesday 30th July 20:02
GG89 said:
Only on PH would people be saying this is fair game. Bloody Hell the price of the water alone will keep 99% of "people watchers" out of there.
100% piss take.
It is fair game. It's a poncey hotel bar in a posh part of London, and I envisage it as an outside seating area with limited spaces on a hot day in July. They probably charge ~£20 a cocktail or thereabouts and their typical clientele will go in and spend a few hundred quid. Unless that is, they can't get into the place because its chock full of others conducting business meetings over a bottle of water. The minimum charge is there to encourage the former and deter the latter. If I were the hotel owner I'd bloody well do the same.100% piss take.
theboss said:
It is fair game. It's a poncey hotel bar in a posh part of London, and I envisage it as an outside seating area with limited spaces on a hot day in July. They probably charge ~£20 a cocktail or thereabouts and their typical clientele will go in and spend a few hundred quid. Unless that is, they can't get into the place because its chock full of others conducting business meetings over a bottle of water. The minimum charge is there to encourage the former and deter the latter. If I were the hotel owner I'd bloody well do the same.
If I were the hotel owner and my staff failed to . . . Hotel said:
Guests are made aware of this policy on arrival
In this particular case as a gesture of goodwill I'd waive the minimum spend!All with the benefit of hindsight of course.
Mr Will said:
Disastrous said:
I'd consider 4pm 'during the day' but not been in London for a few months so not up on current fashions.
It's about the time of day when a business meeting turns into a "business meeting" (i.e. an excuse for a piss-up). Nobodies going to be going back to the office afterwards.I suppose I don't understand how it came about.
In my head, it would (assuming an unhelpful waiter who never mentioned the charge) go like this:
>bill is brought over<
Me: Boy, what is this?
Waiter: The Bill sir (not the police drama)?
Me: why is it so high?
Waiter: minimum charge of £25 I sneakily never mentioned.
Me: I see. In that case, I shall stay longer. Bring me 2 bottles of red and a bottle of white. One glass. I'll drink the red and pour the white over the balcony. And some nibbles. In short, you're not getting £25 for a bottle of fking water. If you're making me spend the money, I shall make you give me things in return and minimise your profit. Agreed? Good.
>calls wife and advises her to make ready the sofa<
Disastrous said:
Exactly. What sort of fking loser would go for a no expense spared slap up afternoon in a hotel lobby?
I had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
Hotel guests fk off about the city during the day and as mentioned, you'd have to be the worst sort of pervert to actually go to a city hotel for a afternoon out so I'd suggest that passing business trade is exactly what they want.
^^^^ thisI had always assumed that these places put out tables and chairs and serve coffee/water precisely to attract business meetings.
1). They'll be there for an hour tops
2). They'll always order a coffee/bottle of water
3). They'll be smart enough and not scruff the place up
4). They'll be zero trouble whatsoever
Hotel guests fk off about the city during the day and as mentioned, you'd have to be the worst sort of pervert to actually go to a city hotel for a afternoon out so I'd suggest that passing business trade is exactly what they want.
If you just want a quick chat / mtg ... Quite common to meet during business hours in a quietish bar or hotel lobby for a coffee - maybe have a snack with it. Less noisy than Starbucks etc.
Never have a problem with it here in Singapore ( in top end hotels ) . Sure - the waiter will come over to take your order - but I've never heard of "$100 minimum for you two..."
It's how hotels generate a bit of extra biz during quiet afternoons
Disastrous said:
...
Me: I see. In that case, I shall stay longer. Bring me 2 bottles of red and a bottle of white. One glass. I'll drink the red and pour the white over the balcony. And some nibbles. In short, you're not getting £25 for a bottle of fking water. If you're making me spend the money, I shall make you give me things in return and minimise your profit. Agreed? Good....
I doubt they'd care (as much as I doubt there was no fair warning had he been awake). The charge isn't there as a means of generating profit. It's there to mitigate peasants clogging up their lobby. Call it £75 for meeting space rental in a nice building with free water. Me: I see. In that case, I shall stay longer. Bring me 2 bottles of red and a bottle of white. One glass. I'll drink the red and pour the white over the balcony. And some nibbles. In short, you're not getting £25 for a bottle of fking water. If you're making me spend the money, I shall make you give me things in return and minimise your profit. Agreed? Good....
What we really need to know is how many shower curtain rings did the chap sell and was his return on the £75 worthwhile.
And why does every mong feel the need to go on social media with every last "trauma"? The chances of this backfiring when his customers see the levels he'll go to in order to entertain them would seem high. "I could do with a business meeting".... "no thanks, I'm busy. And bored of hotel lobbies".
Du1point8 said:
Cheapskate business man doesn't want to hire a meeting room, tries to impress clients by taking advantage of upmarket hotel instead.
Upmarket hotel don't like people like this business man using their expensive areas for business meetings instead of for their clientele, so charge minimum spend... He spends 1-2 hours talking business thinking he can do that for price of 3 small bottles of water.
Fool... Still probably cheaper than hiring a meeting room.
I guess they also do it to stop tourists hanging round all with a glass of tap water 'people watching' for celebs, etc.
Not sure he's as much a fool as those who think these prices are acceptable. Still, if you live in a toilet, you will get st upon.........Upmarket hotel don't like people like this business man using their expensive areas for business meetings instead of for their clientele, so charge minimum spend... He spends 1-2 hours talking business thinking he can do that for price of 3 small bottles of water.
Fool... Still probably cheaper than hiring a meeting room.
I guess they also do it to stop tourists hanging round all with a glass of tap water 'people watching' for celebs, etc.
I often have meetings in (high end) hotels all over the world - sometimes staying there, sometimes not - and have never had a minimum spend imposed or mentioned when ordering a drink/water/nibbles/snacks/whatever.
Sure, I have paid inflated prices for certain things, but that is to be expected to a certain extent and there is a huge difference between that and an enforced high minimum spend.
The hotels snarky response does them no favors at all.
Sure, I have paid inflated prices for certain things, but that is to be expected to a certain extent and there is a huge difference between that and an enforced high minimum spend.
The hotels snarky response does them no favors at all.
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