The SCTA had instructed hotels and apartments to display a tariff structure approved by the commission prominently at their reception counters so that customers can have a clear picture of the facilities and the charges they need to pay.
The commission has also issued a directive ordering hotels and apartments to ensure they stipulate a maximum charge for rooms in accordance with their star rating in addition to special charges for peak seasons. However, most accommodation providers in Taif have disregarded these instructions.
This has prompted the SCTA to issue a fresh warning to these hotels and apartments that punitive action would be taken against violators, Al-Madinah newspaper reported quoting commission sources.
Many occupants of these hotels and furnished apartments have complained that they did not see any such list of tariffs.
They also protested against service charges of up to 10 percent levied by most of these hotels and apartments. Abdul Rahman Al-Sulais, a resident of Riyadh who is staying at a furnished apartment, said: “I stayed at apartments in Makkah, Jeddah and Al-Baha before coming to Taif. But I did not see any such lists in any one of these cities. I heard about such lists of charges that have been fixed by the SCTA, but I did not see them,” he said.
Abdullah Al-Maliki, a Makkawi staying at another apartment, said: “I found a notice informing us about a 70 percent additional charge during peak seasons and a 10 percent extra service charge. I was surprised about the services they were giving. Aren’t they charging us simply for carrying our bags or for cleaning our rooms?” Al-Maliki said that there was no list of charges displayed at his apartment.
“On the other hand, charges are very high. We need to pay SR350 a night for an apartment consisting of two rooms, a hall and a bathroom,” he said while claiming that the accommodation was worth only SR200.
Echoing the same view, Abdullah Al-Otaibi from Riyadh said that he did not see any list of fares displayed either at the reception counter or inside rooms at any one of the hotels and furnished apartments in major tourist destinations that he had visited before coming to Taif.
“On the contrary, the charges are high during the peak summer season. The operators of apartments are exploiting the heavy rush. Most of these apartments are being let out by those who are tenants themselves. Some of these operators justify their charge hikes by claiming that these apartments remain vacant most of the time during the year and that their revenues are restricted mainly to the peak seasons,” he said.
On his part, Bandar Abdullah expressed his displeasure over the noncompliance of SCTA directives by the hotels and apartments in Taif. He urged the commission to intervene in the matter and revoke the service charges being levied illegally by most accommodation providers. “Is there any justification for levying a SR35 service charge per day for simply carrying our bags when we pay SR350 for either a suite, room or apartment?” he asked.
Fahd Muhammad, another vacationer in Taif, said hotels and apartments in most of the summer resort cities such as Abha, Al-Namas and Al-Baha are charging exorbitantly during the current summer season. “The fares for a moderate furnished apartment range between SR250 and SR400,” he said, adding that prices would be much higher if the apartments are maintained well.
Muhammad Al-Sufyani, a worker at a furnished apartment building, told the newspaper that an official from the SCTA visited the place a few months ago. “He visited the suites and rooms and asked us several questions about the rent structure and the cleaning system. He did not give any directive with regard to the charges,” Al-Sufyani said while confirming that the building did not display any list of tariffs.
Ahmad Ibrahim Saleh, who has worked on the reception team at a furnished apartment building for about a year, said that no SCTA official has so far approached apartment operators about a list of tariffs.
“We charge only SR220 for an apartment consisting of two rooms, a hall and a bathroom,” he said, adding that they have no directive from tourism authorities except one brochure from the Tourism Promotion Committee asking to ensure promotional activities and programs are a resounding success.
Talal Maliki, an official of another furnished apartment, also pointed out that they have not received any notification concerning how tariff lists are displayed from tourism authorities.
Meanwhile, Tareq Muhammad Khan, executive director of the SCTA branch in Taif, said hotels and furnished apartments in Taif that violate the commission’s directive with regard to displaying tariffs would face punitive action. “Owners and operators of several hotels and furnished apartments have approached the SCTA branch office and obtained the list of charges approved by the commission,” he said.
According to Khan, the fees hotels and furnished apartments in Taif can charge depend on their location and grade of services.
Charges at hotels and apartments in prime tourist locations of Hada and Shafa differ from those in other parts of Taif. “Charges at some new hotels and apartments that offer advanced facilities and the best quality services will be higher compared to others. The charges of such hotel rooms or apartments range from SR250 to SR350,” he said.
