Starwood Preferred Guest - $300 EACH for COMPULSORY New Year's Eve dinner!

Hi folks

We've an upcoming 10 nights stay at a Cat 3 property in Thailand which falls on New Year's Eve. Have been told that as a result of this, both of us need to fork out something like 8,000 Baht (excludes 18.7% tax) EACH for a COMPULSORY New Year's Eve dinner.

Quite shocked about this, needing to pay close to $300 EACH for a mandatory dinner. Thinking of appealing to the GM to exclude us from this. Anyone heard of such a practice and been successful in being omitted from this so-called compulsory practice? Appreciate your advice on this.

Many thanks and all the festive best!

Krabi Sheraton trying to capture some extra revenue?

I don't think there is a way out and yes it is extremely irritating. I am curious what's SPG's take on this forced insanely overpriced "extra" that is not included in the rate.
For the price you can fly to BKK to watch the fireworks and come back the next day :)

This practice is common throughout resort areas in South East Asia, although $300 is probably the most expensive I have heard of.

I don't know how you'll go asking to be excluded from the event as the hotels are all pretty upfront with the requirement.

The woes of the Thai tourist industry might be in your favour, if you made it clear that you'll cancel your reservation rather than pay for the dinner.

I hate compulsory holiday dinners - and I've run up against them a number of times now. We actually left Bali on New Years Eve to avoid an expensive dinner. I'm afraid it's a common practice in a number of areas around the world.

We've an upcoming 10 nights stay at a Cat 3 property in Thailand which falls on New Year's Eve. Have been told that as a result of this, both of us need to fork out something like 8,000 Baht (excludes 18.7% tax) EACH for a COMPULSORY New Year's Eve dinner.


This is quite easy.

Check out on 31st and check back in on 1st. Just spend the new years eve at some other property.

If this was not disclosed at the time you made the reservation, I do not think you should be required to pay for this dinner.

If it's Sheraton Krabi, the Special Conditions for the hotel state:

Special Conditions
Compulsory New Year's Eve Dinner - December 31, 2008

For Guests staying over New Year's Eve, December 31, 2008, there is compulsory gala dinner. The prices are as follows:

* Adult premium dinner - 10,000 THB
* Adult standard dinner - 8,000 THB
* Children (Ages 5 - 12) premium dinner - 5,500 THB
* Children (Ages 5 - 12) standard dinner - 4,500 THB

I don't see any meal requirement given for the other two Krabi Starwood hotels.

This is quite easy.

Check out on 31st and check back in on 1st. Just spend the new years eve at some other property.

This is what I would do.

This is quite easy.

Check out on 31st and check back in on 1st. Just spend the new years eve at some other property.

Why bother with another property? It's NYE! :p
Check out around 4pm, leave your bags there, start partying. Finish partying ~9am the next day, check back-in (if you're a Plat), or keep partying until check-in time if you're not. ;)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.126 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/114)

It is pretty normal. As long as the rates are not skyrocketing I would not care. Other hotels simply have obzene rates (in Times Square Locations) without offering any extra

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.126 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/114)

It is pretty normal. As long as the rates are not skyrocketing I would not care. Other hotels simply have obzene rates (in Times Square Locations) without offering any extra

There is nothing "normal" about forced $300 meal. Times Square is a destination for NY festivities therefore the rates, while the properties in SE asia have absolutely no reason to justify this. To the best of my knowledge western NY is not even celebrated in Thai culture.

I agree with others - just head somewhere else for 1 night, Phuket is not far..

What about using points for this night? Do they impose this on award stays?


For the price you can fly to BKK to watch the fireworks and come back the next day :)

Where are the fireworks?

They do impose these ridiculous charges on award fees.

Note: same thing in Le Meridien Angkor Wat ($100 pp) and Le Meridien Chiang Mai ($114 pp). Sometimes for both Christmas and New Years.

I agree that the only logical solution is to stay elsewhere that night.

Why bother with another property? It's NYE! :p
Check out around 4pm, leave your bags there, start partying. Finish partying ~9am the next day, check back-in (if you're a Plat), or keep partying until check-in time if you're not. ;)
I've seen these in the Middle East especially Dubai and Cairo and not only at Starwoods, at all 5 star hotels. I would do the same-just check out and party all night!

What about using points for this night? Do they impose this on award stays?



Where are the fireworks?

supposedly over the river - need to check in thailand forum

I'd be foot stomping mad if this was not disclosed at the time of rez.

There have been plenty of times where I have paid $300 pp for a special dinner. But, it was my decision at a restaurant of my selection. That price is way out of line for "compulsory!" :mad:

Agree that the best route might be to simply check out for NYE and back in the next day. But given how hard a hit tourism is taking, you also could play hardball by making alternative reservations somewhere else for the length of your stay (presumably with only a very low or no NYE fee) and threaten to cancel your stay entirely if the hotel doesn't cancel the $300 fee.

We're in the same boat for Thailand and thought about calling the resort (Sheraton Hua Hin) to see if we could skip the compulsory dinner (not surprisingly, there's still plenty of room availability on NYE). Given the comments here I don't think we'll bother trying but will head back to BKK on the 31st for the rest our Thailand break. Paying this much money for a dinner, music and perhaps some fireworks is a little obscene, especially in a place like Thailand where food is so cheap outside of the 5* hotels. We may still enjoy the NYE festivities at the SGS in BKK, but these are optional and a lot cheaper. More likely, we will grab some good food and listen to some good sounds at the Railway bar on Soi 11.

If enough people refuse to book maybe they will do away with this "forced" charge. I won't stay in a place that does this - was once at Hilton Hua Hin before it was compulsory. It was a mob scene buffet - complete with obnoxious music - I was soooooo happy to be in my room overlooking the fireworks on the side of the hotel away from the mob scene:D

What about using points for this night? Do they impose this on award stays?

So they allow you to redeem a room for 3,000 points but force you to buy dinner at $300/guest :(

There is nothing "normal" about forced $300 meal. Times Square is a destination for NY festivities therefore the rates, while the properties in SE asia have absolutely no reason to justify this. To the best of my knowledge western NY is not even celebrated in Thai culture.

I agree with others - just head somewhere else for 1 night, Phuket is not far..

What is "forced" about this? You are free to book or to stay away. When staying in Times Square, I know that I have to pay 600 USD in a room that goes away for 198 USD during low season. When staying in Thailand I still pay 200 USD for the room plus 300 USD for the dinner. You may like the deal or not. However, it it the decision of the property. If I do not fancy I would simply not stay there.

Mandatory New Year's Eve (or other holiday) events are fairly common at resort properties. Maybe the OP doesn't get out much.;)

Mandatory New Year's Eve (or other holiday) events are fairly common at resort properties. Maybe the OP doesn't get out much.;)

Even at non-resort SPG properties in BKK they are having similar compulsory dinners. I just wouldn't stay at those properties on that night. I can't imagine what they'll be serving for 10,000 THB a head.

Wow, I've never encountered this before. I've only spent one New Year's eve in Asia. It was a Sheraton in Lombok, but there was no compulsory party (the biggest annoyance was the staff turning on the fire alarm bells at midnight!).

These are phenomenal prices, especially for Asia. Heck, last year I was at the La Quinta Resort, which is a Waldorf Astoria property in expensive So. California, and I think the optional New Year's eve dinner was about half that price (I skipped it).

But other than complain to the manager or checkout for the night, I don't know what you can do. I doubt Starwood can do much for you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I'd ask the property first.