Prospective guests at one of London’s most prestigious hotel will be relieved to learn that Booking.com promises “toilet roll” is included in the price.
Rooms at The Ritz are selling for £999 for the night of Wednesday 29 May through the giant online travel agency, with the bathroom essential among a number of amenities that Booking.com lists for the five-star lodging in Mayfair, alongside a lift for rooms on upper floors, heating and a “socket near the bed”.
Breakfast, however, is not included and will cost a couple an extra £56. The nearest Pret a Manger is a two-minute walk away.
Guests who book direct with The Ritz – which calls itself “The Best Hotel in London” – can pay 11 per cent less than Booking.com, at £890 a night. Toilet paper is still included in this rate.
But a “discretionary 5 per cent service charge” is added by The Ritz, increasing the cost to £934 unless the guest asks for the fee to be deducted.
Loo roll is also an amenity promoted by Booking.com at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City, overlooking Central Park. Carpeting and a “streaming service (like Netflix)” are also included in the £986 quoted by the online agency.
Toilet paper is listed as free at the five-star Peninsula in Hong Kong, too. Bizarrely, Booking.com warns there is an extra fee for “towels/sheets”. This is not believed to be the case, but helicopter transfers to the hotel’s private helipad from Hong Kong airport cost £2,250 extra.
Across in Dubai, guests in the penthouse suite on the 72nd storey of the world’s tallest hotel, the Gevora, will not need to lug their bags up the stairs. Booking.com promises: “Upper floors accessible by elevator.”
A spokesperson for Booking.com said: “Amenities vary property to property, from hotels with a private bathroom to those with a shared bathroom or a home rental. So any items listed which are available for the use of guests are simply there to provide a comprehensive guide to travellers to ensure they know what to expect from their accommodation and are listed directly by the hotel owners.”
Booking.com is believed to be the world’s most valuable travel firm, with a market capitalisation worth around £100bn.