Price of HAL Hotels

[Roz]

So I'm starting to check out hotel prices and locations for my South American cruise that starts in Buenos Aires.  One of the hotels HAL uses is the Sofitel Buenos Aires Recoleta.  HAL wants $489 for one person for one night, but when I go to the Sofitel website I can book it independently for around $168.  Holy Mother of Pearl!  How can HAL justify those prices and why do passengers pay them?  Even if transfers are included, it doesn't justify such a wide discrepancy in price. 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

Why does hal charge so much for anything? Likely because they are trying to capitalize on anything they can.  Generally speaking I find their hotels to be high but once in a while you can get a deal.  Some people many just want the comfort of dealing with hal and transportation.  

[Roz]

My experience with group bookings is that generally they're less expensive than booking on your own, but apparently that's not the case in the cruise world.

[Florida_gal_50]

I’m sure hal is getting a discount through the hotel, they just aren’t passing it on.  Princess used to have good deals pre covid.  I’ve used hal hotels a number of times and rarely are they a better deal.

[Mary229]

Usually the spread is excessive but once in a while, if an area is experiencing high demand or escalating prices it can be a good deal.  Usually it is better to book your own room. My TA misunderstood my instructions and booked a room for me in Anchorage a while back.  I just now caught it but prices are so high in Anchorage now it doesn’t look like as bad a deal.  

[twodjs]

Every cruiseline I have checked, not just Hal, charges at least double what I would pay if booked on my own. I guess some using the cruiseline's booking service don't want to be bothered with the extra booking hassle.

[Florida_gal_50]

10 minutes ago, twodjs said:

Every cruiseline I have checked, not just Hal, charges at least double what I would pay if booked on my own. I guess some using the cruiseline's booking service don't want to be bothered with the extra booking hassle.

Maybe.  For me it’s hardly a hassle to book a hotel on my own.  I always book refundable hotels.  It’s more about me not being familiar with the port city.  My comfort is worth more than money 😛 to a point.

[john2003]

23 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Usually the spread is excessive but once in a while, if an area is experiencing high demand or escalating prices it can be a good deal.  Usually it is better to book your own room. My TA misunderstood my instructions and booked a room for me in Anchorage a while back.  I just now caught it but prices are so high in Anchorage now it doesn’t look like as bad a deal.  

Yes, I have found quite the escalation in Anchorage compared to my previously cancelled trip.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Roz said:

My experience with group bookings is that generally they're less expensive than booking on your own, but apparently that's not the case in the cruise world.

 

I've run into the same thing. I've priced HAL overnight hotel tours and also pre- or post-cruise tours and I think their model is this:

 

Take the average rack hotel room price (or whatever discount hotel gives them) and charge that amount to EACH person if the room is being shared by two people = double the room price.

 

Now for a solo, take that total double room price from above and double it again (because they seem to use a "solo supplement" model even on land = four times the room price.

 

Obviously I am exaggerating a bit, but it's been very true over the years that HAL hotel pricing does not work for me as a solo.  Once when I was on a cruise on Westerdam doing Egypt and the Holy Land, HAL offered an overnight tour in Israel -- the cost of which for me (as a solo) was more than I paid for the entire cruise!!!

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by cruisemom42

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

but it's been very true for the years that HAL hotel pricing does not work for me as a solo.  Once when I was on a cruise on Westerdam doing Egypt and the Holy Land, HAL offered an overnight tour in Israel -- the cost of which for me (as a solo) was more than I paid for the entire cruise!!!

 

HAL’s pricing doesn’t work for couples either.

 

I usually do substantially better on my own and usually don’t pick a HAL hotel.

 

One caveat - over 20 years ago - my TA at the time suggested I take their hotel in London (she since retired but she knew her stuff).  The rate was dirt cheap and when we checked the rate on the hotel door it was nearly 500 POUNDS a night.  (I won’t tell you what a cup of tea cost there “choke”). It’s the only time we’ve stayed in a HAL hotel.  I’ll never know why it was such a good deal but that one sure was.

 

[cruisemom42]

2 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

HAL’s pricing doesn’t work for couples either.

 

I usually do substantially better on my own and usually don’t pick a HAL hotel.

 

One caveat - over 20 years ago - my TA at the time suggested I take their hotel in London (she since retired but she knew her stuff).  The rate was dirt cheap and when we checked the rate on the hotel door it was nearly 500 POUNDS a night.  (I won’t tell you what a cup of tea cost there “choke”). It’s the only time we’ve stayed in a HAL hotel.  I’ll never know why it was such a good deal but that one sure was.

 

 

Plus, I think you (like me) prefer to book a hotel that's well located for sightseeing when possible. I know that sometimes the hotels chosen by the big cruise lines are not necessarily handy for walking around on your own and seeing the sights -- e.g., in Rome.

 

One reason I miss Voyages to Antiquity is that often a pre- or post-cruise stay was included. Once we had a pre-cruise stay in Athens and the hotel was the Grande Bretagne -- what a lovely experience. 

 

And most tours were included, even those requiring an overnight. For example, an overnight in Marrakesh and (most memorable) an overnight in Palmyra in Syria -- now sadly destroyed. ☹️

[CruiserBruce]

Most cruise lines have been this way for many many decades. Not news.

 

The only time we have booked HAL hotel is when we landed in Lima, Peru at midnight for a sailing the next day. Having someone great you and get you to the hotel was nice in that situation. Otherwise we always book on our own.

[kazu]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Plus, I think you (like me) prefer to book a hotel that's well located for sightseeing when possible. I know that sometimes the hotels chosen by the big cruise lines are not necessarily handy for walking around on your own and seeing the sights -- e.g., in Rome.

 

 

Very much like you - when available with good ratings, etc, I like boutique type hotels which are usually away from the crowds but not that many steps at all from the sightseeing.

 

In fact, I booked a boutique one in Rotterdam that is about a 20 minute walk from the Hotel New York.  There’s a convention going on and I have no desire to be near that but we will go to take a tour to see what they have done with the Rotterdam and see HAL’s old headquarters.  If we need to get to the other side for the Centrum, there’s a water taxi stand right by the hotel 👍 

 

[Cruzin Terri]

When I went to South America with HAL they wanted 4500 per person to go to Machu Picchu for 2 nights off the ship from Lima. That would have been $9000 for two nights. We contacted Abercrombie and Kent. They arranged a three night private tour for us for $4500 total.  We stayed at 5 star hotels and had our own guide who tailored the tour to our needs plus an extra day.  You have to be willing to do your homework and  not be afraid to go out on your own.  On that same cruise we did Iguazu on our own for a third of the price that HAL wanted pre cruise.

Terri

[iancal]

HAL is in business to make a profit. No doubt they have profit margin targets for every aspect of their business including pre/post cruise and excursions.

 

We have never found any cruise line hotel offer to be attractive.  HAL included.  More often as much as 2X that we would pay on our own.  Moreover, sometimes we have noticed that some of these hotels were not located in the best tourist centric locations.  You really do have to independently  check this if you book hotels through a cruise line.

 

Some people want the convenience and are will to pay for it.   It is all about choice.

 

When we were on a SA trip we priced the cruise line trip to Iguazu Falls. Made our own arrangements for about 1/3 the cost that the cruise line wanted.  One additional night to what the cruise line was offering. 

 

 Complain?  No.  We had a choice and we selected based on our requirements.

Edited October 16, 2021 by iancal

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Having someone great you and get you to the hotel was nice in that situation.

 

That is a legitimate reason to use their hotel package.  Particularly, if one is a first time visitor to that city.  

 

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I know that sometimes the hotels chosen by the big cruise lines are not necessarily handy for walking around on your own and seeing the sights -- e.g., in Rome.

 

Sometimes true; sometimes not.  In Rome, my hotel in the Princess hotel package was on the Via Veneto.  On a HAL cruise, my hotel was a short walk from The Vatican and the Vatican Museum (which was a prime sightseeing objective for me to take my time and have a thorough, non-rushed visit).  The location of that hotel provided opportunities to dine at some small restaurants that I didn't find when I stayed on the Via Veneto.  

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, rkacruiser said:

Sometimes true; sometimes not.  In Rome, my hotel in the Princess hotel package was on the Via Veneto.  On a HAL cruise, my hotel was a short walk from The Vatican and the Vatican Museum (which was a prime sightseeing objective for me to take my time and have a thorough, non-rushed visit).  The location of that hotel provided opportunities to dine at some small restaurants that I didn't find when I stayed on the Via Veneto.  

 

I don't consider either of those areas to be in a prime location, however. Ideally visitors should look for something in the middle of the Centro Storico, the historic center, to really enjoy exploring Rome on foot.

 

It would take one about 40 minutes to walk to the Colosseum from a hotel located about midway up the via Veneto. While it had its moment in the 1960s, it's kind of a backwater for most tourists, although close to the Borghese Gallery.

 

The Vatican is well known to be an outlier in terms of location. If that's the main or only thing on your list, I concede. Although I don't find most of the surrounding areas to be as lively in the evenings with dozens of restaurants, bars, people taking their passeggiato, etc. I'd rather stay near the Pantheon or Piazza Navona and just grab a taxi to the Vatican if needed.

 

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

17 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I don't consider either of those areas to be in a prime location, however.

 

I have visited Rome only twice.  I was pleased with both locations.  From my hotel on the Via Veneto, the Borghese Gallery/Gardens were of interest.  The Spanish Steps were nearby, and I walked and walked and walked and nearly got lost.  I visited, on foot, all that I wanted to see and the sightseeing tours that I booked filled in what I could not walk to.  A late night dinner at a small restaurant with music following a nighttime tour of the city remains a highlight in my memory.  

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

When I went to South America with HAL they wanted 4500 per person to go to Machu Picchu for 2 nights off the ship from Lima. That would have been $9000 for two nights. We contacted Abercrombie and Kent. They arranged a three night private tour for us for $4500 total.  We stayed at 5 star hotels and had our own guide who tailored the tour to our needs plus an extra day.  You have to be willing to do your homework and  not be afraid to go out on your own.  On that same cruise we did Iguazu on our own for a third of the price that HAL wanted pre cruise.

Terri

The transportation can be unreliable going to Manchu Picchu or at least it was a few years back.  If you are doing this after or before a cruise and have some wiggle room it is doable.  Not so much if it’s in the middle of a cruise.  I’m not a lucky person so I don’t like to take a gamble.  It may not be as simple as you state.  

[zgscl]

Keep in mind you are not just paying for a hotel room. You are also paying for transportation & often staff to meet you at the airport or on the ground as well as their overhead to administer the group bookings, plus a profit (and maybe commission? Not sure if they pay commission out to TAs for the pre/post cruise hotel). In many cases you could save money by booking all of the components yourself and also choose a hotel that is a better fit for your price range. HAL is selling the convenience and ease. I always look at their pricing and compare to what I can do on my own and then decide. 

[iancal]

We have stayed in two hotels that were used by cruise lines, HAL included, that we can remember.  In Rome, we stayed at the Sheraton Golfo (?) while on a business trip.    Subsequently, after being in Rome multiple times on vacation I could not imagine staying at that location as a tourist.

 

We stayed at Westin Ft. Lauderdale (beside the I95).  Close to nothing a tourist would be interested in.  It was the weekend, it was a business hotel.   We were on a land trip, had a car, and got it on a Hotwire win for sub $100.  

 

 Cruise lines get great rates at these hotels on the weekend because vacancy is high.  So do we if we book direct or go through Hotwire or Priceline.    We checked the HAL rates out of interest.  They were incredibly high.  Cannot imagine a good TA recommending this hotel, based on location, for any pre or post cruise.

 

I can well understand why some people like the ease of booking with HAL or another cruise line.  We have had years of independent, spontaneous travel so booking somewhere new where there could be a language issue has never been a concern of ours.

Edited October 17, 2021 by iancal

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

We stayed at Westin Ft. Lauderdale (beside the I95).  Close to nothing a tourist would be interested in

 

This was the hotel that my TA provided for our included pre-world cruise booking with them.  Rooms were fine; food was OK; facilities were OK; service was OK with one major slip-up on the morning of the bellman taking our luggage from the room for transfer to the ship.  But, the location?  Once was enough for that property for me.  

[iceman93]

1 hour ago, zgscl said:

Keep in mind you are not just paying for a hotel room. You are also paying for transportation & often staff to meet you at the airport or on the ground as well as their overhead to administer the group bookings, plus a profit (and maybe commission? Not sure if they pay commission out to TAs for the pre/post cruise hotel). In many cases you could save money by booking all of the components yourself and also choose a hotel that is a better fit for your price range. HAL is selling the convenience and ease. I always look at their pricing and compare to what I can do on my own and then decide. 

The only time I used a HAL hotel was on my last sailing when they were offering complimentary pre-cruise stays for those booking suites.  Things went south right from the airport, when we had to wait two hours after landing for enough passengers to arrive to fill up the mini-bus they had booked.  The hotel they chose was okay, and we chose to upgrade our complimentary room significantly, but we would never choose to stay there again.  The best part was the complimentary excursion to a nearby castle including a wine reception, but my whole family agreed that in the future we would just book our own pre- and post-cruise arrangements (even if HAL still offered them for free).

[Cruzin Terri]

18 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

The transportation can be unreliable going to Manchu Picchu or at least it was a few years back.  If you are doing this after or before a cruise and have some wiggle room it is doable.  Not so much if it’s in the middle of a cruise.  I’m not a lucky person so I don’t like to take a gamble.  It may not be as simple as you state.  

I agree that transportation could be unreliable and I would certainly not suggest doing that adventure on your own. That is why we chose to go with a “reliable” tour agency that promised to get us back to the ship no matter what.  Even if the plane was late and we did not make it to the port, there was a plan B.  They were with us from the moment we left the ship in Lima until we reboarded in Guayaquil.  

I just wanted to stress the point that one does not have to pay the exorbitant prices that the cruise lines charge to have a similar, if not better experience.  One just needs to be a bit creative and do one’s homework.  On that particular cruise there were many who went with the ship, and many, like us, who did it on their own.  We all had a fabulous time.  Some chose to spend their money a bit more wisely for the experience.

Terri

[zgscl]

I booked my first one for San Diego next month which is a solo cruise. Price is fairly comprable to what I could get elsewhere. What I did not realize is they charge double for 2 people. Was looking at a future cruise where I am traveling with someone - two people in one room is double the cost. Sort of the opposite of a single supplement.