A major healthcare conference in San Francisco is causing hotel
rooms, dining and even meetings to raise their prices.
The Fairmont and surrounding hotels are cashing in charging $150
for meetings and $30 for lingering over lunch.
“Unbelievable,” said Charles & Company CEO Lawrence Charles. “Just
to turn over the table. Unbelievable.”
Charles is the CEO if an LA-based luxury tea company and is in San
Francisco this week to network during the annual JP Morgan Healthcare
Conference.
“This is the week to be in San Francisco if you’re in the biotech
pharmaceutical industry because all the big money, a lot of the venture
capitalists,” said conference attendee Len Martocci.
Conference goers say most companies pick up the premium price
tags. Hotel rooms Downtown range from $350 a night to $1,350 at the Fairmont,
which is also charging an extra $30 per person for every hour diners spend at
Laurel Court, past their 90-minute reservation.
“I know people who stayed down at the airport because
it’s $1,000 a night in the city,” said Martocci.
If colleagues want to have a meeting, say at Bar Drake inside the
Sir Francis Drake Hotel, it’ll cost them $150 an hour. The
hotel says that includes office supplies, water, and coffee.
A Fairmont Hotel spokesperson said the pricing
policies are in place so the hotel can handle more demand and provide better
service. Plus, they’re only in effect during the conference, which ends
Thursday.
After that, prices will be back to normal.
Source: NBC Bay Area