Originally Posted by
UNITED959
This is one of the most absurd things I've ever encountered with SPG.
I have a stay booked at the Sheraton Pattaya (Dec 29 - Jan 1), and the website indicates there's a mandatory New Year's Eve dinner.
This is a Sheraton, not some all-inclusive hotel. Why would I go to Thailand so I can ring in the New Year at some Westernized hotel?!?!
Before making the reservation, I called the Platinum desk to find out about the "mandatory" dinner. The agent told me to not worry about it, so I went ahead and booked the room.
Most all SPG properties in Thailand have the same ridiculously overpriced NYE dinner.
Absurdity, like all things, is relative. Compulsory NY Eve dinner has long been a practice of most, if not all South-East Asian resort destinations.
You have obviously been duped by the agent whom you've spoken to. I'd take that up as a case - not the absurdity of the NY Eve dinner.
Originally Posted by
UNITED959
Does that include a fleet of the country's prostitutes to be waiting by my hotel room door? Does the pad thai have pieces of diamond in it? Are they going to wash up the tuk-tuks that transport the off-site attendees?
I could go to some AMAZING restaurants in cosmopolitan cities around the world and walk away from them spending only $500 for two (with wine!). I'm supposed to pay $634 to eat a blasted Sheraton?
Gimme a break. Unless Charlie Trotter, Jamie Oliver, Ferran Adria, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten are being flown there to cook, as you may have guessed, I'm going to complain.
Has anybody else encountered this hogwash before?
There's no need to be sarcastic, condescending and act almighty.
I expect this reaction from the resort - NY Eve dinner was stated in the website as compulsory. If you didn't like it, you could have booked another period / stay at another hotel.
IMHO, There are plenty of other choices in Pattaya - vote with your wallet if you don't want to spend this kind of money during
super peak period.
But having booked a place after being notified in writing, in advance about it and complaining about the cost post-booking seems a little far-fetched to me, IMHO.
Nevertheless, I feel that you have every right to question the inclusions of the US$317 (or thereabout) NY Eve dinner - this should at least be made known to you.
Again - IMHO, I really don't understand the mentality of tourists who want to travel during super peak period but refuse the penalties that come with it.
