Basel’s Hotel Du Commerce continues to demand 7 night bookings for Baselworld week

Hotel Du Commerce, one of the closest establishments to Baselworld’s exhibition halls, was listed among 14 “Preferred Partners” of the exhibition earlier this year. As a partner, the hotel agreed to abide by rules designed to make it more affordable for executives to visit the fair, and not feel gouged by local businesses cashing in on the shortage of rooms in the city during the week.

However, according to an e-mail exchange seen by WatchPro, the hotel is continuing many of the practices that have infuriated visitors to Basel for years, including demanding a minimum of 7 nights for any booking during Baselworld week.

Hotel Du Commerce is classified as a 4* hotel which, according to the Baselworld-backed initiative, should mean a maximum room rate of CHF 650 during the exhibition week.

In the e-mail exchange seen by WatchPro with a senior executive from the British watch industry, the hotel asks for CHF 750 per night with a minimum of 7 nights, taking the total cost to CHF 5,250.

The rules appear to flout the rules of the Preferred Partner scheme, which says that hotels must abide by three out of four rules:

1. Compliance with the agreed maximum price per night/double room including breakfast as listed below
2.  No minimum length of stay
3. No price increase compared to 2018
4. No compulsion for additional consumption