H-Metro Reporter
IT has to be one of the most expensive breakfasts on the continent – a cool US$45 for the first meal of the day.
Of course, if you want, you can pay US$38 for the English and American breakfasts.
Or US$35 for the Continental and Healthy breakfasts.
That’s the massive cost of breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Harare and our two reporters found that out when they visited the hotel yesterday.
You guessed it right — they didn’t take the meal because they felt, just like many others on social media yesterday — that it was an outrageous way of pricing food.
There has been an uproar on social media over the breakfast pricing at Holiday Inn, which is one of the top hotels in the capital.
But, is the uproar justified?
Let’s try and put this into context.
In July last year, a survey of 55 000 hotels by data company OTA Insight showed that hotel breakfasts in Europe (three, four and five star hotels) were heavily priced.
“In the top ten, dominated by Swiss destinations, guests can easily pay more than £16 (about US$19.58) for a hotel breakfast this summer,” reported the travelmole website.
“London (£15.06, about US$18.43) is the most expensive city in the UK for hotel breakfasts.
“Interestingly, the most popular destinations are not always the most expensive for breakfast.
“With no fewer than four cities in the top ten most expensive hotel breakfasts, Switzerland clearly takes the prize for hotel breakfast pricing (Zurich, Basel, Geneva and Zermatt) at £16.10 (about US$19.70) on average.
“Top destinations such as Crete (£6.40), Marbella (£7.67), Algarve (£9.38) and Ibiza (£12.79) do not necessarily charge the highest prices for breakfast
“In Benidorm (£2.98) guests pay on average the least for a hotel breakfast.”
And, wwww.hotels-and-discounts.com noted that:
“The cost of breakfast at a hotel can vary depending on the type of hotel, the location, and the time of year.
“The average cost of breakfast at a hotel in the United States is US$15 per person.
“Breakfast at a hotel in Europe is typically more expensive, with an average cost of US$25 per person.
“Hotels provide free breakfast but the recommended amount per person per day should be between US$1 and US$2.”