Hoteliers propose ‘table charge’ on customers spending long durations

BENGALURU: The Silicon City is known for its foodie culture and cafes have become an integral part of the city’s lifestyle. However, the increasing trend of people using cafes and hotels as meeting spots is causing inconvenience to both customers and hotel owners.

The issue has led to discussions about introducing a new ‘table charge’ for meetings held at hotels. A notice posted on a hotel wall in Bengaluru, stating that meetings exceeding an hour will be charged Rs 1,000 per hour, has sparked debate on the matter. The notice read, “No meetings allowed. If a meeting exceeds one hour, a charge of Rs 1,000 per hour will be levied”.

The city has over 35,000 hotels, including five-star, three-star, and small hotels, which are increasingly being used as meeting spots for various purposes, including politics, business and social gatherings. This has led to customers occupying tables for hours, leaving others without seating. Hotel owners complain that this is affecting their business, as customers who want to eat or grab a quick coffee are unable to find seats.

Hotel owners are seeking a solution, with some suggesting a table charge, similar to parking charges, to be implemented across all hotels in Bengaluru. The charge would be in addition to the cost of food and beverages. Some owners are proposing that customers be given a specific time limit to occupy tables, after which they would be charged extra.

The Bengaluru Hotel Association is considering the issue and plans to discuss it with stakeholders before making a final decision. The association is looking at implementing a standardised policy across all hotels in the city.

Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association secretary Veerendra Kamat told Public TV, “We have facilities like tables and chairs, washrooms, air-conditioning so that customers have a good experience. But we have seen many people discussing real estate deals, indulging in political discussions, marriages, etc. This is causing inconvenience for other customers as they have to wait. If we tell them to vacate tables, they don’t like it. We will discuss steps like fixing timing like 15 minutes for consuming beverages and 30 minutes for consuming meals”.

“We can’t levy fines on customers, so we have proposed a table charge. We will have a meeting and discuss this issue. If we fix a table charge, as suggested by some hotel owners, they will vacate after an hour. Some star hotels already charge a fee for occupying the lobby apart from ordering for food or beverages”, he added.

The move aims to curb the practice of occupying tables for extended periods, allowing more customers to use the facilities and ensuring that hotels are used for their intended purpose.