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Zorba Cafespeak - When Five Star ‘international’ Hotels in India Start Charging for a Cup of Cappuccino…

Author: zorba | Date: 27/12/2007

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You are on a bed and breakfast package and being a lover of Coffee, decide to order the Cappuccino rather than the normal fare at the Breakfast table. Before the steward has even taken the order, out pops the ‘Its chargeable’.

Wikipedia describes a Cappuccino as an Italian coffee-based drink prepared with espresso, milk and milk foam. It describes coffee as being made from coffee beans, milk and water. Basically, the same only different preparations. So then why is one free with the breakfast buffet and the other chargeable. Oh I say, perhaps we are paying for the ‘Imported’ Italian beans in the Cappuccino. Well I can tell you one thing - Coffee beans in India are anything but imported. Then we must be paying for the ‘Oh so expensive’ machinery that makes the Cappuccino. Ha ha! I wonder how many cups of coffee that would take. Maybe hotels should charge for the Marmalade and butter too. Just something extra to add to the ‘coffee machine kitty’. And finally, labour costs are so expensive and its so hard to find good people these days – so perhaps every little bit counts towards getting that perfect cup of cappuccino.

The experience of sipping a nice cup of Cappuccino beats anything I might eat off the breakfast table. And yes, I admit it – There is an addict hidden somewhere in that statement. So how nice is the ‘experience’ hoteliers keep talking about when with every fresh cup you want to consume, you are first reminded of the ‘C’ word ‘Shhh… Chargeable’. Its actually very kind of the hotel to remind you to check your wallet. Just in case you are running short of money to pay for the cuppa, never mind that the hotel room is costing you close to 15K (in Indian rupees) a night.

Perhaps the fault is ours. There were no protests when the extra bed charges were introduced. Oh the room is the same but the labour costs of getting the wheeled bed into the room have to be taken care of and luckily this is only 1/4th the room charge - usually. No protests, when on an inclusive dinner package, you are told (‘warned’) that you may consume the meat dishes (‘lucky you’) but not touch the seafood on the buffet (‘lest you get charged extra’). Or the liquor package where only house brands are included, whatever that means though I am seriously inclined to believe that this is the hotels innovative way of disposing of old stock (anyone heard of a staff party as a better option). Wow, and doesn’t all this service make us feel extra ‘Special’.

Anyone wondering why leisure travel numbers into India are diminishing. Perhaps the ‘Incredibleness’ of the Indian experience is finally beginning to wear thin amongst all these additional hand-outs required at every turn despite the not so cheap hotel room tariffs …

Zorba CafeSpeak Warning for Travellers going to India - Please carry wallet at all possible times!!

Zorba CafeSpeak (http://cafe-speak.blogspot.com)
Zorba-the-greet@hotmail.com

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