Many hotels do not accept guests for a weekend night.

Many hotels in major tourist destinations have an unspoken rule that they only accept guests for a minimum of two days on weekends.

Mr. Hoang Cuong, director of a Hanoi-based travel company, complained about the situation where 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" groups to stay for two nights before accepting them. In addition, these establishments also require groups to have at least one meal.

According to Mr. Cuong, this requirement affects travel schedules. Sometimes, tourists cannot arrange for longer stays and are forced to find other accommodation. Limited travel time means that having to eat at hotels and resorts prevents tourists from enjoying other delicious local dishes.

"I had a group going to Cat Ba for 3 days and 2 nights, but they had two mandatory meals on the itinerary. The group was having a great time but had to rush back to the hotel to be on time for the meal," Mr. Cuong said.

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

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

A representative from Viet Travel Company stated that the requirement to stay at least two nights is common in Phan Thiet and Da Lat ( Lam Dong province ). However, Viet Travel Company understands the reason behind this "unspoken rule." Accommodation businesses typically only have one peak season per year. Tourist groups are usually large and occupy many rooms, so if they only book one night on the weekend, hotels and resorts will find it difficult to sell rooms for the remaining days, impacting revenue.

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

On the other hand, a representative from the company stated that the accommodation regulations requiring two nights of stay stem from "the general trend of guests at the destination." For example, previously, 90% of tourists visiting Phan Thiet stayed two nights due to the long travel time from Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, the regulation was usually "two nights on weekends." With the new Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, travel time has been shortened, so in the future, the average length of stay will be two days and one night. Therefore, accommodation establishments may have to adjust their regulations soon.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Travel, said he was "not too upset" about the regulation requiring two weekend nights' bookings. From a business perspective, accommodation establishments feel disadvantaged. Group tours usually plan early and book good hotels at reasonable prices in advance. Meanwhile, individual travelers tend to travel more spontaneously. If they sell a room for one weekend night to individual travelers, the price will be better than for group tours that have already signed contracts with favorable rates.

"I usually deal directly with hotels by asking them what price they would accept for a night's stay. If negotiation is impossible, we have to move on to other options," Mr. Dat added.

Tu Nguyen

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