Hotel owners ignore SCTA rules on tariff complain visitors TAIF — Owners of hotels and furnished apartments here are ignoring Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) rules on charges and services. There are no tariff lists at the entrances of these establishments and no promised services and facilities as are clearly spelt out in the brochures of these housing units. To add to the customers' woes there is an astronomical tariff structure and charges for services not provided. Welcome to the resort city of Taif, a city known to attract thousands of local and international visitors during the oppressive summer months. All the SCTA rules are ignored with impunity and customers keep on rumbling their disapproval at the way they are being treated at a time when the authorities in the Kingdom are trying to stimulate domestic tourism. The SCTA had instructed hotels and apartments to display a tariff structure approved by it 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 also issued a directive ordering hotels and apartments to ensure they stipulate maximum charges 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, newspapers 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. Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a resident of Dammam, was exasperated. He said he had stayed at apartments in several cities including Makkah, Madina and Jeddah. He did not see any such lists in any one of these cities. Muhammad Al-Asiri, from south of the Kingdom, was surprised at additional peak season charges and extra service charges at several furnished apartments here. He 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 of two rooms, a hall and a bathroom,” he said while claiming that the accommodation was worth only SR200. However, an employee at one of the furnished apartments said SCTA officials visited his facility and inquired about the charges and the facilities provided there. “But they did not issue any directive to us regarding the tariff list or the charges,” he said.
