I RECENTLY required an overnight business stop in Glasgow and was subjected to accommodation rates so scandalous (albeit during a major world sports event) that I was left reeling.
It caused me to wonder what additional costs hoteliers were faced with during the Commonwealth Games to justify such blatant exploitation?
Whilst booking online I realised that not just the hotel I usually stay in but also many hotels in Glasgow and the surrounding area had the same notion of profiteering, which I find ethically and morally unjust.
Tourists coming to Glasgow and being subjected to this may well leave with the misguided notion that Glasgow and Scotland as a whole is an exorbitant, overpriced place to visit. I did not encounter any other businesses - retail, bar and food outlets, for example - quadrupling their rates, so what concept encourages hoteliers to become hogs at the swill?
Situated well above the central belt, hoteliers such as I moderately increase our tariffs (roughly 20 per cent) for the peak summer season due to the downturn winter brings upon us and I accept that during such a captive period a moderate increase may be expected. However, I find an increase of 300 per cent and above a disgrace.
It is a sad state of affairs when we have made such a superb job of hosting these Games that Glasgow has been let down by the blatant greed of accommodation providers.
David Keat,
Hotelier,
Bridge of Awe,
Taynuilt,
Argyll.
COME on ye Scotsmen and Scotswomen, where are your tartans and kilts?
My grandson and I were outside the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow drawing with chalk with other young people on the paving as part of a children's art project. We then walked through George Square and the Merchant City. I was wearing my kilt as I often do. We only saw two other men wearing kilts.
Where is our pride in our national identity? Why keep your kilts with the mothballs in the wardrobe only to be taken out once or twice a year?
Break out your kilts. Wear them and bring colour and pleasure to the many people in Glasgow for the Games and across the world through television. Show the world the wonderful colourful culture they expect to see and we are so fortunate to enjoy.
Brian Sutherland,
Linn Park, Glasgow.
WE had a fantastic day at the rugby sevens at Ibrox - apart from the transport "arrangements" , where a fundamental lack of communication was the order of the day. The day was also marred by outlets in the ground running out of food - but not, it seems, failing to provide enough alcohol. There was also the lack of baby-changing facilities. To have mothers kneeling on the floor of a corridor stacked with boxes of drinks, trying to change their babies was utterly degrading. As a proud Glaswegian I hope that visitors go home with a slightly better view of the city than I have at the moment. By all means "bring it on", Glasgow - but only if you are fully prepared for it.
Alan J Potter,
68 Corsebar Road, Paisley.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article