Beware of Mandatory Gala Dinner Scam in Jaipur Hotels on New Year’s Eve

I want to share a frustrating experience I’ve had while booking hotels in Jaipur for the New Year. A number of hotels are scamming guests by imposing a “mandatory gala dinner” charge of ₹5,000 (or more) per person if your stay includes December 24th or 31st. This isn’t disclosed when you make your booking, and they leave you with no option but to pay upon check-in. Let me explain what happened to me. I booked a stay at IHG Gopalpura back on September 7th for the end of the year. At the time, there was no mention of any mandatory gala dinner in the booking details. Suddenly, on December 19th, I received an email from the hotel informing me that this dinner was mandatory, and I would have to pay for it. Confused, I contacted their central customer support (which operates internationally), and they reassured me that nothing was mandatory. Since my booking was non-refundable, I decided to trust their word and didn’t take any further action. When I arrived at the hotel today, they refused to give me the key card for my room unless I either paid for the dinner or canceled one night of my stay. They claimed they couldn’t process a refund or cancellation. I spent three exhausting hours trying to get through to customer support. Finally, the international helpline informed the hotel that they could modify my booking to issue a refund. Miraculously, the hotel staff, who had insisted it was impossible, managed to do it within seconds. It became clear that they were simply trying to pressure me into paying for the dinner. Instead of giving in, I chose to cancel, costing them ₹16,000 per night for my booking. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident. I immediately booked another property, Zone by the Park, only to face the same issue. I called the hotel to confirm, and they told me they also had a mandatory gala dinner charge. I asked for cancellation within two minutes of booking, but they refused to refund even a partial amount. Thankfully, the booking platform acknowledged the issue and is discussing it with the hotel and their senior team, but this process is slow, and I need to book another property quickly for my upcoming stay. Having traveled to over 20 countries and 21 states within India, this is by far the worst experience I’ve had with hotels. Never in my life have I been forced to pay for a dinner, especially one this expensive, as a condition for staying at a property. This is nothing short of a scam, and it’s unfair to travelers, especially during peak holiday seasons. I want to warn anyone planning to visit Jaipur during Christmas or New Year’s Eve to be extremely cautious when booking hotels. Always confirm directly with the property about any hidden charges, including mandatory gala dinners. And if you know of any hotels in Jaipur that don’t impose such fees, please share them in the comments. TL;DR Many hotels in Jaipur are scamming guests by imposing a hidden “mandatory gala dinner” charge (₹5,000+ per person) for stays on December 24th or 31st. This charge is often not disclosed at the time of booking. I faced this issue at IHG Gopalpura and Zone by the Park, where I had to either pay the fee or cancel my stay. Be cautious and confirm with hotels before booking. If you have recommendations for properties without such hidden charges, please share them!