TNN

Bangalore, Jun 10: You have to pay for your airport pick-up and drop if you are staying at a 5-star luxury hotel in Bangalore. That's not all: you will even have to pay for your breakfast, which was earlier complimentary.

TOI had reported in November that the country's major hotel chains will phase out complimentary breakfast and airport transfers. This, they say, is in keeping with international practices.

"Everybody's average room rates (ARR) have been hit due to various factors, the main being the appreciating rupee. India's hospitality industry, which is still underdeveloped, has started moving towards international practices," said Taposh Chakraborty, CEO of Boutique Hospitality Consultants.

Hotels will be looking at increasing room margins by saving anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000. Currently, on an average, a luxury hotel spends close to Rs 3,000 in offering free airport transfers and Rs 600 in offering complimentary breakfast per room guest.

Typically, close to 70% of a hotel's guest list avails of airport transfers. However, this will apply only to guests checking in to rooms that come at a rack price ranging between Rs 8,000 and Rs 20,000. These incentives will still hold good for the high net-worth travellers paying room tariffs in excess of $650 a night, staying either in the premium rooms or club room or presidential suites.

"Guests staying in premium rooms and suites always look for value addition that come for the price they are paying. They expect to get all aspects of luxury," said Mohan Kumar, director, Taj Properties Bangalore.

But even the high net-worth travellers won't get everything free when it comes to airport transfers. "For our premium guests we have given them the option of choosing either a free pick or drop from the airport," said Kumar.

Transportation costs have become a cause of concern because of the steep 25% annual growth in such costs. Besides, in cities like Bangalore, where the new international airport is far from the city, such costs have become prohibitive.

Luxury resorts are, however, retaining these benefits. "Guests coming to leisure destinations expect to get their complimentary breakfasts and also by throwing in various kinds of additional offerings leisure resorts can differentiate themselves from each other," said Vikram Khettry, executive assistant manager, Radisson Plaza Resort & Spa, Kumarakom.