Baselworld’s attempt to make it significantly cheaper to visit in 2019 looks likely to disappoint visitors as it has negotiated a price cap on hotels that is up to three times their normal nightly rate.
MCH Group, the organiser of Baselworld, has struck an agreement with hoteliers that it says guarantees transparent prices at two-thirds of the city’s hotels.
However, putting those price promises to the test today, WatchPro found that booking a room during Baselworld week, which runs next year from March 21-26, will still be eye-wateringly expensive.
Les Trois Rois (pictured top), is the only 5-star hotel among Baselworld’s list of ‘Official Partners’, and will have to offer double rooms for a maximum of £1005 per night.
The week before and the week after Baselworld, the price for a double room is £493, less than half what visitors and exhibitors at the watch fair will have to pay.
There are no other 5-star hotels listed among the official partners.
Hotel Wettstein, a 3-star property, has agreed to charge no more than £463 during Baselworld week, has rooms available for the following week for £125 per night, one-third of the price. 49% of reviews for the hotel on Tripadvisor rank it Average or Poor.
Despite the price hike, Baselworld says it is happy with negotiations with the hospitality industry.
“We are very pleased to see that many hoteliers not only embraced but also contributed towards the success of this initiative,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff, managing director of Baselworld. “Approximately two thirds of the hotel market agreed to participate, which is great news for our exhibitors and visitors, as hotels are an important factor in the Baselworld experience. With this partnership model, we were able to create a win-win scenario, combining interests of hoteliers, exhibitors and visitors,” he adds.
Baselworld may have injected transparency, but they certainly have not improved clarity for visitors.
A statement explains that partner hotels have agreed to comply with three to four criteria regarding their offers for Baselworld. Hotels that fulfill all four criteria are now “Official Partners”; hotels that comply with three of the four predefined criteria are “Preferred Partners”.
The jointly defined criteria are:
- Compliance with the agreed maximum price per night/double room including breakfast as listed below
- No minimum length of stay
- No price increase compared to 2018
- No compulsion for additional consumption
5* sup | CHF 1 290 |
5* | CHF 990 |
4* sup | CHF 750 |
4* | CHF 650 |
3* sup | CHF 600 |
3* | CHF 550 |
2* | CHF 350 |
1* | CHF 200 |
The conditions apply for Baselworld 2019 and are retroactive for existing bookings. Accommodation at the listed hotels is not guaranteed and is subject to availability. Prices are only guaranteed for bookings made directly with the hotel.
The following hotels are Official Partners of Baselworld:
Official Partners | Category |
Les Trois Rois | 5* sup |
Krafft Hotel | 4* |
Hotel Basel | 4* |
Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel | 4* |
Hotel Dreiländerbrücke | 4* |
Hotel Engel Liestal | 4* |
Hotel Landgasthof zum Ochsen | 4* |
Hotel Mühle | 4* |
Royal Hotel – Urban Living | 3* sup |
Hotel Wettstein | 3* sup |
Der Teufelhof Basel | 3* sup |
Hotel Stücki | 3* sup |
Steinenschanze Stadthotel | 3* sup |
Hotel Schweizerhof | 3* sup |
Bad Bubendorf Designhotel | 3* sup |
Consum Residence by Krafft | 3* |
Hotel Balade | 3* |
Motel One | 3* |
Hotel Landgasthof Riehen | 3* |
Das Breite Hotel | 3* |
Hotel Bildungszentrum 21 | 3* |
Hotel im Schlosspark | 3* |
Hotel Maximilian | 3* |
Hotel Baslertor | 3* |
Hotel Restaurant Tivoli | 3* |
Bad Ramsach Quellhotel | 3* |
The following hotels are Preferred Partners of Baselworld:
Preferred Partners | Category |
Novotel Basel City | 4* sup |
Hotel Steigenberger Lörrach | 4* sup |
Dorint an der Messe | 4* |
Courtyard by Marriott | 4* |
Hotel Sorell Merian | 4* |
Hotel Victoria | 4* |
Hotel du Commerce | 4* |
GAIA Hotel | 4* |
Hotel Metropol | 4* |
Hotel ALFA | 3* |
Hotel Ibis Basel Bahnhof | 2* |
Ibis Styles Basel City | 1* |
Ibis Budget Basel City | 1* |
Ibis Budget Pratteln | 1* |
The now official price of the Ibis Budget hotel for Baselworld is CHF 200. Well, I booked it ahead on the 30th of March and the price I have to pay isCHF 199. Well done, Baselworld!