THE hospitality industry has been shrieking ”foul” after the much vaunted influx of Rugby World Cup (RWC) international tourists to South Africa failed to materialise.
Arguments vary, but the 50 000 figure originally bandied about appears to have shrunk by half or even more. The Federated Hotel, Liquor and Catering Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) doesn’t seem to know and neither do South African Airways (SAA) or the RWC officials. Any entrepreneurs out there with Gallop Poll talents? You’re needed before the Olympics 2004.
Hoteliers have been disappointed at having surplus accommodation available during RWC matches. There’s quite a spread to be had, all the way from five-star down to the Southern Sun Group’s one-star Formule 1 hotels. At R104 per room per night for up to three people, even the most financially challenged of the boerewors-and-brandy-injected naartjie brigade can afford a post-Bok-victory bash in the big city.
Southern Sun is to be congratulated on its visionary marketing and entrepreneurship. In repositioning over- luxurious and over-serviced Holiday Inns in lean times, they’ve emerged with results applauded by the financial sector and the media, credit for which must be laid squarely at the door of spunky and pragmatic group managing director Ron Stringfellow.
In the light of this success, it jars that entrepreneurial — or is it opportunistic — money-making appears to underpin the varying rates being charged by the Holiday Inn Garden Court (GC) section of the group.
I had need last week to accommodate two elderly friends at the new Sandton City GC before a flight to their daughter’s funeral in Australia. I was a bit surprised at the (shared) room rate of R422 for one night.
Thinking there was a mistake, we queried and were told these were Rugby World Cup rates. I phoned around out of interest. Receptionists told me that during RWC, Holiday Inn GC room rates are higher than normal. Each Holiday Inn GC I was told (and I hope this isn’t correct) ”is allowed to set its own rates during the rugby period”. The biggie in Sandton, now a Crowne Plaza (4 star), has only a double room rate available during RWC. If you’re single, tough, unless you like open space.
Is this why I was quoted R322 at Milpark GC, R352 at Airport GC, and yet paid R422 for the double (shared) room at Sandton City GC. Why such inconsistency?
Apart from being so confusing, a price hike, if just for the RWC, smacks of inappropriate and ill-timed opportunism if not downright scalping.
The hospitality industry might just have shot itself in the foot with its own hype about expected huge crowds and then hiking up prices. If it hadn’t, perhaps more rooms might be