Many hotels do not accept weekend night stays.

Many hotels in major tourist destinations have an unspoken rule of only accepting guests who stay for at least two days on weekends.

Mr. Hoang Cuong, director of a travel company based in Hanoi, complained that some hotels and resorts in Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan), Sam Son (Thanh Hoa), Ha Long (Quang Ninh), Cua Lo (Nghe An), and Cat Ba (Hai Phong) "force" guests to stay two nights before accepting them. In addition, the accommodation facilities also force guests to eat at least one meal.

According to Mr. Cuong, the above request affects the travel schedule. Sometimes, guests cannot arrange to stay longer and are forced to find other accommodation. Limited travel time means having to eat at hotels and resorts, making it difficult for guests to enjoy other delicious local dishes.

"I have a group going to Cat Ba for 3 days and 2 nights but there are two mandatory meals in the schedule. The group is having fun but still has to rush back to the hotel to eat on time," said Mr. Cuong.

Responding to VnExpress , the director of a 5-star hotel in Ha Long said that the requirement to stay two nights or eat at least one meal is "not difficult to understand", although he affirmed that his establishment does not have such a policy. During peak times like summer, hotels have few available rooms so they "force" guests to optimize revenue. However, this leader assessed that forcing guests to eat one meal is "quite offensive" and sometimes harmful to the hotel. If every group of guests were forced to eat one meal in the hotel, not every establishment would have enough space to accommodate them.

A line of cars on the road to Hon Rom - Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City. Photo: Bui Toan — A line of cars on the road to Hon Rom - Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City. Photo: *Viet Quoc*

A representative of Du Lich Viet said that the requirement to stay at least two nights is common in Phan Thiet and Da Lat (Lam Dong). However, Du Lich Viet understands why there is this "unwritten rule". Accommodation businesses usually only have one peak season of guests a year. Tour groups are often large and stay in many rooms, so if they only book one night on the weekend, the hotel or resort will have difficulty selling the remaining day, affecting revenue.

"Both sides are business people so I think we need to be understanding," said the company representative.

On the other hand, the representative of this company said that the regulation of two nights' stay at accommodation establishments comes from "the general trend of guests at the destination". For example, in the past, 90% of guests going to Phan Thiet usually stayed for two nights due to the long travel time from Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, the regulation is often "stay two nights on weekends". With the new Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, the travel time has been shortened, so in the future, the average stay will be two days and one night. Therefore, accommodation establishments may have to adjust the regulation soon.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Travel, said he was "not too upset" with the regulation requiring two nights of weekend rental. From a business perspective, accommodation establishments would feel disadvantaged. Group guests often plan early and book good hotels at reasonable prices. Meanwhile, individual guests have a habit of traveling more spontaneously. If a room is sold for one night on the weekend to individual guests, the price will be better than for group guests who have signed a good price contract in advance.

"I often play cards with hotels and ask them what price they can accept for a one-night stay. In case we cannot negotiate, we have to switch to other options," Mr. Dat added.

Tu Nguyen

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