I’ve always felt that buying bottled water was one of the biggest scams out there. The only time I find it really worth purchasing is when traveling to countries where the water is not safe to drink.
As we all know, the price of bottled water can vary based on the brand and where you purchase it.
However, based on a story I just read on Fox News, the prices at The Wellesley Hotel in London are just crazy!
A man was having a business meeting at the hotel’s Crystal Bar. During their meeting all they had was three 500ml bottles of San Pellegrino. When the bill came, the man was in for the surprise of his life. His bill for the fancy H2O came to £75, the equivalent of $127US.
I could only imagine his surprise at what he saw.
While San Pellegrino usually sells for $2 per bottle, he knew the hotel would charge a bit more but not that much more.
The hotel charged £16.50 per bottle, around $28 US which to me is crazy in itself but little did he realize, the hotel also charges a pretty steep service charge of £25, $43US per person for customers at the bar after 4 p.m. They also charge a £50.17, $85US “minimum spend” fee which brought the tab to a total of £75.
The man paid his bill without complaint but did share a photo of his bill on Twitter with a warning to others about the crazy fees.
The hotel responded to his Tweet by saying they will make sure that their policy is “dazzingly clear to all in the future”. They also claim that their policy is made known to customers and is “comparable to similar venues across London”.
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent for a bottle of water?
Find out more about the story from Fox News here.
Santastico- I think we ate a a beer hall attached to a hotel once. Othewise we never buy anything at the hotel. A supermarket or convenience store is definitely the way to go!
As for water at the airport- we bring a SIGG or similar water bottle, drink it before security and then ask a restaurant or bar at the airpot to fill it up for us (and they never refuse).
Kyle- Great advice or do like I stated above!
This is outrageous!!!! I avoid ordering anything from a hotel bar, restaurant or room service. I know it is a convenience but there are limits for that. I am a huge water drinker and first thing I do when getting to a hotel is to check if there are free water bottles in the room. If not, I will find the closest convenience store and buy couple bottles for the price I would pay for one at the hotel. Leaving hotels alone, it is infuriating that you cannot bring your own bottle of water through security and have to pay $4.50 for a bottle water inside the airport. It is either that or drink from the water fountain which most have terrible metal taste.
@Santastico: Just bring an empty bottle through security. Refill it at the nearest fountain once you’re through!