Sheraton Harrods Eilat Hotel
צילום: ג'ו קוט
Eilat hotels: Tourists pay more
Israeli told tourists pay more for same services at Eilat hotels; in some hotels 80 percent gap found between prices paid by Israelis and tourists
An Israeli who asked to make a hotel reservation in Eilat for himself and a French couple found that his tourist friends have to pay 80 percent more for the same room.
He asked for an explanation and was told "they are all on holiday."
"Tourists from France came to me over the holiday and wanted to go to Eilat and stay at the Dan Panorama Hotel for a couple of days," Philip Jrozilansky told us on Sunday. "I called reservations at Dan Hotels and asked how much a room would cost. They said a bed and breakfast room for a couple costs NIS 1,980 (USD 420) for two nights. I told them a couple of tourists from France will be joining us and they directed us to an operator that deals with tourists. They offered us the same room for USD 367 for a total of NIS 3,532 for two nights. A gap of 78 percent.
"I tried to check if a mistake was made. They transferred me from one person to another and said that's the price. I am a Zionist Jew. I immigrated to Israel from Belgium. I wanted my guests to see Eilat. How do they want to have tourists in this country?"
After this conversation Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth checked prices at other hotels.
At the Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba Hotel a room for two nights for an Israeli couple costs NIS 1,900 (USD 413). The same room costs NIS 2,668 (USD 580) for tourists: A gap of 40 percent.
The Sheraton Harrods Eilat Hotel a room for two nights costs NIS 2,680 (USD 580) for Israelis and NIS 3,036 (USD 660) for tourists and they told us that "in principle a room for tourists is more expensive." The difference: 13 percent.
At the Renaissance Hotel in Tel Aviv we were given a price of NIS 1,500 (USD 330) for Israelis and NIS 1,794 (USD 390) for tourists, a 20 percent gap.
Some hotels gave us wise tips saying: "Make the reservation under your name for the whole group and pay using an Israeli credit card, so you can circumvent the gap in prices."
Isrotel Hotels said its prices are the same for tourists and Israelis.
Isrotel CEO Rafi Sadeh said his company unified its price list after complaints over the price gap. Eli Ganon, CEO of Sheraton Israel, admitted there is a problem in prices. "We charge tourists in Israel the same prices their agents do abroad," he said.
David Fattal, Chairman of the Union of Eilat Hotels and CEO of Fattal hotel chain, said: "Tourist prices are set under long-term agreements with agents abroad, and therefore we charge them even in Israel prices they would have paid abroad. Certainly it is possible to consider charging tourists in Israel the same prices Israelis pay."
The Union of Hotel said it will comment only after undertaking a thorough investigation into the issue. The Ministry of Tourism said it views with severity gaps in prices. The Ministry said hotels that charge tourists more money will be excluded from its marketing efforts.
Article first pubished in Yedioth Ahronoth
