Latest news with #GHR
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Many Parisian Restaurants Charge More From American Tourists Than Locals, Investigation Claims
Some restaurants in tourist-heavy areas of Paris are reportedly charging American visitors significantly more than local patrons, according to a recent investigation by French daily Le Parisien. In a social experiment conducted by the publication, a French journalist teamed up with blogger Marc, better known as Radin Malin, who specialises in spotting everyday scams. The duo went to the same restaurant at the same time and ordered the same food: one in disguise as an American tourist with a tourist cap, Eiffel Tower T-shirt and American accent; while the other went as a typical Parisian. They visited several restaurants near key landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars to compare bills. The outcome was telling: American tourists were often charged considerably more for the same meals, the investigation found. The experiment was prompted by recurring complaints from American visitors on social media. Tourists had reported unexplained bill surges, being charged more than menu-listed prices, and being pushed to leave tips - something that is not customary in France, where service charges are already included. At one restaurant, both the faux-American and French diners ordered identical meals: lasagna, a soda, and water. The French customer was served a can of Coke priced at 6.50 euros and a free carafe of water. The American counterpart was instead asked to choose between "Medium" and "Large" Coke. When he picked "Medium," a pint was served for 9.50 euros, and a separate bottle of water was added to the bill at 6 euros. No option for a free carafe was mentioned. The American tourist's bill ended up 9.50 euros higher. Moreover, the American tourist was also offered garlic bread, which was not clearly marked as an additional item but was later charged at 6 euros, another subtle upcharge. The pattern continued at another restaurant near the Champ de Mars, where the server falsely claimed that "service is not included" and strongly encouraged the American diner to leave a tip. In reality, as Franck Trouet, general delegate of the Groupement des Hotelleries et Restaurateurs (GHR), clarified, French law mandates that service, water, and taxes be included in the listed price, reported Le Parisien. In this second instance, the American tourist ended up paying 10 euros more than the French customer. This included a 4 euros tip, implied to be mandatory, and another 6 euros for bottled water that the French tourist could have replaced with a free carafe. According to Le Parisien, these small but systematic pricing differences meant that American diners sometimes ended up paying nearly 50% more than locals for the same meal. As the Parisian summer tourist season peaks, these revelations serve as a cautionary note to international visitors - check the bill carefully, ask questions, and don't hesitate to request tap water, which is your right under French law.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits warned as 'disgraceful' silent tourist tax exposed in city break hotspot
British tourists heading over to one of the most popular cities in Europe have been warned over sly tactics many restaurants use to make foreigners spend more money UK holidaymakers have been urged to watch out for sneaky fees that could end up wreaking havoc on their finances. Last year, a whopping 48.7 million tourists flocked to the French city of Paris and its surrounding areas - marking a two per cent increase compared to 2023. Unable to resist the charm of strolling along the Seine, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle, and eating their body weight in pastries and cheese - the iconic city is expecting an even stronger tourism rebound this year. As romantic and enchanting as Paris may be, there's no denying it's an expensive city - one that can easily break the bank if you're not careful. Of course, avoiding fancy restaurants and luxury hotels may help keep the price down. Spanish hotspot's brutal 2-word warning as Brits threatened with £648 fine However, there's also a secret tourist tax that's recently been unearthed. It comes after one local pretended to be a visitor from the United States to see whether dining out is really a set price for all. Local media outlet Le Parisien sent two journalists to a well-known eatery in the city to see whether they'd be charged the same for their identical order. It comes after the publication spotted a slew of complaints from international tourists online, arguing that waiters use sly tactics to get them to pay more. Writer Mathiew Hennequin was disguised as an American tourist, donned in a baseball cap and an Eiffel Tower t-shirt, while Marc (who uses the alias Radin Malin, pretended to be a domestic tourist. The pair requested the same order: a lasagna, soda, and water. The 'American tourist' was offered Coke in 'Medium' or 'Large' size, but after choosing 'Medium' was given a huge pint of Coke for €9.50. He was also charged €6 for a bottle of water. However, the French guinea pig received a can of Coke for just €6.50 and was provided with a free carafe of water, paying €9.50 less than the fake Yankee. In the same restaurant, the server offered the reporters 'garlic bread' without specifying that it was extra - but ended up charging the American €6 for the privilege. In another restaurant, the 'American' was told that service wasn't included as part of the bill - which Franck Trouet of hotel and restaurant group GHR claims is 'obviously false'. The boss branded the findings a 'disgrace', adding: "You can't even call these people waiters. You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water. The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied: above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States." In both cases, the bill for the fake American tourist was 50 per cent more than that of the French customer. While this investigation didn't use any reporters pretending to be British, it's worth being careful when ordering food and drinks in the city to make sure you're not being overcharged.
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Snooty Paris restaurants are secretly up-charging US tourists by 50%, investigation reveals: ‘Disgrace to the profession'
An American ripoff in Paris. Parisian servers have always been notorious for their rudeness, but now it looks like they're ripping off customers as well. Paris restaurants are charging US tourists up to 50% more than local patrons, an undercover investigation has found. Following several online complaints about the so-called American tourist tax, the city's leading rag Le Parisien sent two reporters to a cafe on the heavily-touristed Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower to see if the servers were guilty of fry-way robbery, the Telegraph reported. Paris has become the City Of Light wallets for American diners. Ever – One of the journalists went dressed as a typical Parisian while the other, writer Mathieu Hennequin, masqueraded as a classic US traveler with a baseball cap and Eiffel Tower T-shirt while putting on a passable American accent, the Independent reported. To conduct the experiment, both men ordered a lasagna, Coke and water, wherein Hennequin noticed he was consistently charged quite a bit more. The bona fide Frenchman was offered a choice of a small can of Coke or a medium or large glass. He chose the can for €6.50 ($7.63). Meanwhile, Hennequin was not offered the smaller option and ended up forking over €9.50 ($11.15) for the medium size. While the French customer was offered a free carafe of water, the faux American was given no such choice and instead had to pay another €6 ($7) for a small bottle of Vittel. All told, Hennequin was charged €9.50 ($11.15) than his fois gras gobbling brethren. To ensure that the culinary tariff wasn't a coincidence, the epicurean narcs went incognito at another establishment to test out its tipping policy. When the bill arrived, the French customer noticed he was given an obligatory 10% service charge while the 'American' patron was asked if he wanted to leave a gratuity because 'service isn't included.' Franck Trouet (not pictured), of GHR, a hotel and restaurant group, called the fleecing 'a disgrace to the profession.' Andrii Iemelianenko – He attempted to leave a 10% tip to match his compatriot's service charge, but the waiter sneakily upped it to 15% while shielding the payment screen so he couldn't see. In both instances, the 'American' paid 50% more than this croissant-crunching companion. Franck Trouet of GHR hotel and restaurant group called the fleecing 'a disgrace to the profession.' 'You can't even call these people waiters,' he declared. 'You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water.' He added, 'The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States.' This was far from the first time Parisian restaurants had pulled the wool over tourists' eyes. In April, a similar probe by Le Parisien found that some City Of Light bistros were pouring cheap wine for foreign diners after they'd ordered top-shelf tipple. Although these Parisian scam artists don't hold a candle to the notorious seafood restaurant in Greece, DK Oyster, which has been known to charge diners $900 for some light bites and aperitifs.
Metro
6 days ago
- Business
- Metro
How foreign tourists are charged 50% more in Paris than French customers
Americans holidaying in Paris are being charged an extra 50% more that French customers. Newspaper Le Parisien sent out one of their reporters dressed like a tourist from the USA as well as one of their local employees to a cafe near the Eiffel Tower. Both sat down and ordered the same dish – a lasagna, a Coke and water – but given drastically different prices when given the check. The obviously 'French' customer was charged €6.50 for their soft drink and given a carafe of water for free. But the 'American' was charged €9.50 for a large coke which was only half a litre. They were also made to spend €6 on bottled water with no offer of a carafe. The pair moved to a different establishment to test the tipping policy. The 'French' customer had a 10% service charge included, but the 'American' was told it 'isn't included'. When he agreed to add a 10% tip, the waiter discreetly raised it to 15%. Franck Trouet of the hotel and restaurant umbrella group GHR said: 'It's a disgrace to the profession. You can't even call these people waiters. 'You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water. The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States'. Parisian restaurants and bars were also found to be cheating tourists out of wine last month. A sommelier posing as a tourist ordered a glass of Chablis costing around €9, but instead was served the cheapest €5 sauvignon on the menu – and was still charged the higher amount. Wine merchant Marina Giuberti said: 'It's a pity for the customer and for the image of the wine appellation, for the winemaker and for the restaurant owners who do a good job.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: New £17 travel charge comes into force across popular Greek islands MORE: Lonely Planet founder reveals the Greek island tourists haven't destroyed yet MORE: Sunbed Wars 2025: Worst UK offenders revealed as mum-of-six sparks fury
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
The great Paris tourist rip-off exposed by a fake American
Hapless tourists in Paris are being charged as much as 50pc more than French customers, the city's leading newspaper found. After detecting online complaints from tourists about being overcharged, Le Parisien sent out one bona fide Parisian to a cafe on the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower. It then dressed up one of its reporters as a typical tourist, sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with the iconic tower, trainers, dark glasses and a baseball cap, along with a passable American accent − albeit with a French twang. They both sat down at the unnamed restaurant and ordered the same dish − lasagne − and drinks, a Coke and water, and discreetly filmed themselves. The clearly 'French' customer was served a can of Coke for €6.50 and offered a carafe of water along with his dish. Meanwhile, the 'American' was not offered a small can, only a 'medium or large Coke'. When it arrived, it was half a litre and cost €9.50. As for the water, the 'American' received no offer of a carafe, which is free. Instead, he was made to fork out a further €6 for a small bottle of Vittel. The pair then walked to another nearby cafe-restaurant to test its policy on tipping. When it was time to pay, the French customer received the bill, which includes an obligatory 10pc service charge. However, the 'American' client was asked if he wished to tip because 'service isn't included'. Worse, when he agreed to add a 10pc tip via the card machine, he realised afterwards the waiter had shielded the amount and discreetly upped this to 15pc. Last month, Paris cafes were caught cheating unsuspecting tourists out of good-quality wine. An undercover sommelier ordered a glass of Chablis, costing around €9, but the wine being served was actually the cheapest on the menu − a €5 sauvignon. Wine merchant Marina Giuberti said: 'It's a pity for the customer and for the image of the wine appellation, for the winemaker and for the restaurant owners who do a good job.' The Telegraph spoke to Joseph, a 21-year-old waiter who confirmed some of the techniques were widespread. 'In one restaurant I worked [in] I was instructed to bring spring water at €7 a bottle unless foreign customers specifically asked for a carafe. 'I confess I sometimes don't tell them that service [is] included if they mention the word tip.' 'It's daylight robbery,' said the French customer,Marc Maziere, an economist who runs a blog called Radin Malin (shrewd miser), which helps people make savings in their everyday spending. 'It's almost abuse of weakness. They know you're a tourist, you're probably tired and don't understand much etc.' Several American tourists quizzed by Le Parisien on restaurant rules thought that you always had to pay for water, as that was their experience. 'Usually they bring a bottle of water, you have to pay for even when we say still,' said one woman sitting on a bench in the Tuileries gardens. Franck Trouet of the hotel and restaurant umbrella group GHR said: 'It's a disgrace to the profession. You can't even call these people waiters. You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water.' He said waiters' eagerness to increase the tip had been supercharged when Emmanuel Macron, the French president, decided three years ago to waive taxes on 'le pourboire'. Now, tips made in French restaurants and cafes using a bank card are no longer taxable. The rise of new pay machines that automatically suggest a tip of at least 5pc has accelerated the trend to try to squeeze more out of diners.
