New-York tribune., 1880-02-15
HOTEL ELLIS IN PARIS.
Ei.0m The PnN MaN Gazefie.

From The Pail NAL Gazette
All the big Partisan hotels give a asumptuOus table
de-h6te dinner for about shillIngs head, wine
included. winch is not dear. but they recOup them
selves by their eXtrayagant charges Tor what Is
eaten IN private rooms or ordered IN the dining
room la carte. Thus plain breakfast of tea or
coffee and bread and butter served IN slttng-roOm
charged 10 cents for one person but II there be
two persons the charge Is doubled, and family OF
five persons are made 10 pay -. which Is absurd.
Add eggs and bacon TO the feast ana the bill again
reckOns not for dish of these decaces which is
actually consumed, but for " five breakfasts of
bacon and eggs. at 50 cents per head total 81.
Ia most of the org hotels the charge for sIphon OF
seltzcr water 40 cents, though s trade cost Is 10
more than 3 sons glass of sherry Is charged 30
cents /: four 3 ndwicheS, 80 cents pint bottle of
beer 80 cents and plate of biscuits go cents
1t may be alleged that attendance has TO be in
cuded ~ these items; but attendance. after having
been amply charged fer III the bull, has again to be
paid under the form OF tips to the servants. If n
traveller. after settling his weekly account neg
lccted tn add ive-fTanc piece for the waiter, he
wOuld find himself condemned 10 a good deal OF cX-
crcISc with his electric bell during the ensuing
seven davs and ret weak tea and cold eggs for
hrea into the bargain. There IS an astute free
masOErV among hotel servants, and II the waIter he
dissatisfied with particular set of travellers the
porter and chalnbeImald take care 10 make tnelr
dIspleasuIe felt also All of them expect TO be lib
eraly PAID when traveller leaves the hotel. SO do
the PAGES who hit about the entrance-hall to open
doors. and the porter who stands III the yard, wth
a braided cap. TO summon cabs.
Now consider what a hotel company really
makes BY charging attendance for these persons,
thrice over. As a rnle, one waiter. chambcrmaId
ard porter are allowed for every twelve rooms or
sets of rooms a first and second 1DOr ana the
charge FOR attendance on these nOorS DelnB AZ tne
rate Of 80 cents n day, We have SG a day, or $50
"A month for service. But TIE wages OF hotel
waiter are but 81 a month; those OF a chamber
maid So and OF n porter - and II 10 these sums
ole ADDS i 80 month for the keep OF the three ser
wants one finds that the hotel clears more than
&l2s monthly by the single item of attendance.
/. was Thought a step in the right direction when
some twenty years ago hotels weTo induced to
charge separately for attendance, IN order that
travellers might no longer be put to The trouble of
giving tins but nowadays tips and The extortiQn
for attendance flourish amlcahly together hand IN
hand.
IL must be confessed, however, that Partisan hO-
,e's lag behind those of switzerland in the art 0t
aiding htrle extortionate item, 10 their bills Dur
ING the holiday season The managers of hotels IN
Geneva, Iucernc and Lausanne look upon strangers
as rod.cnd, Sjgned for fleccing ana among the
charges for a dinner they VIII not scruplc 10 enter
hravciv, " four gas-humers, 10 cents; rost-watcr
for 'gr-glassesl, 20 GEMS head; salon, - 20 ~
inst as though tcy nId given their customers the
option between being served IN private room or
! on tie strct-pavement. Sometime ago 4
Gcney,se hotc-kccpcr stole n march on
his competitor, ~ adding to his bills
| view, So " What do You mean by view y the
| traveller used 90 ask. " Why, the view Of Lake
| Icman and the Mont Blanc which you get from
these windOws.' the hotel-kcepcr would reply.
why. hut have come 10 SWitz riand On purpose
TO get ttcse views. and can have them from the
street without paving That may be but hero
vo, have the satisfaction OF having them before
yon without leaving the hotel" Well. hut the
weather has been rainy and foggy during the last
week. - that have not seen The Mont B'anc ~ al
and under the circumstances ~ day Is 800 dear.
"Ahi SIR wait until the sun shines, and then You
viii admit that no sum Of money whatever could
nav for such a matchesS sight"
The crafty speaker of these words wise in his
generation; but soon rival hOtel-kceper tTumped
his best card by the simple cXpedlcnt of putting on
his bills: Views not charged for which struck
the public a. quite a liberal concession. All this
sort of thing makes the experienced traveller prefer
the lordly manner in which certain bachelor hotels
IN London make out their bills. They do not
plague Won with items they simply hand you neat
little card on which the sum total is written and.
by way of a receipt. they stamp this card with the
Nothing can be nicer than this II saves great
deal Of mental arithmetic and much grumOmg.