You decide if the price is right at Casa 579 hotel
Radiohead kick-started the trend with their In Rainbows album back in October 2007. Restaurants such as Little Bay in London’s Clerkenwell caused a stir when they followed suit. And now hoteliers are offering people the chance to ‘pay what you want’ in a bid to fill beds.
Earlier this year, the new Singapore Ibis Hotel offered guests the opportunity to name their price for rooms. And in Spain, owners of La Orquidea apartments on the Costa del Sol have a similar scheme for week stays during limited periods in an attempt to stem a downturn in visitors.
Among the latest properties to take up the idea is the Casa 579 hotel in Rio (casa579.com, above). Rooms that are part of the promotion are listed on the website every week. Guests simply email chosen dates and pay as much or as little as they like at the end of their stay — and breakfast is even included in the price.
‘If we have rooms available, it’s better for us that they’re occupied,’ says general manager Teresa Keohane. ‘And it means guests also get a good deal, which is important to travellers at the moment — so it’s a win-win situation.’
According to Keohane, people typically pay at least 70-75 per cent of the normal price. While French and Italian guests tend to pay a bit less, the Brits are likely to splash out more. ‘The British seem to be more concerned about what the right amount is to pay,’ she adds. No one has so far chosen to pay nothing.
Few major chains look likely to follow in her footsteps, however. According to Kip Horton, a vice-president of sales for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, ‘It’s not something we’re looking at. We will continue to set pricing for our rooms at rates which are attractive to our customers.’
