Earlier this week, a customer at a hotel in Tipperary called out the establishment for overcharging her for scones.
She took to social media to share her receipt from the Cashel Palace Hotel which showed three scones and three teas or coffees cost €45 - with an additional €4.50 gratuity fee.
Since publishing the picture, it has gained thousands of likes and plenty of people have been airing their opinion on the matter.
It seems many are divided, and while some are in shock at the high cost of the scones and tea, others are on the side of the hotel, and simply say the customer should have checked if it was within her price range before going there.
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When asked by an Irish Mirror reporter, the hotel explained why their prices are higher than one might expect and why a scone costs €10 in their restaurant.
A spokesperson said: "The hotel charges €5 for a pot of tea/coffee (with a complimentary refill if desired) plus €10 for three freshly made scones (per serving) with clotted cream from Hayes’ Farm www.hayesfarm.ie in Two Mile Borris, butter from Glenilen Farm www.glenilenfarm.com and a choice of jams from Crossogue Preserves www.crossoguepreserves.com which are all made locally."
Among the locals defending the new hotel, one tweeted: "Why don’t you compare price points to say, Adare Manor or Ashford Castle?
“Instead of putting up a receipt with little context. This hotel is a great boost to Cashel and just opened."
So we looked into some of Ireland’s top hotels to see if Cashel Palace Hotel was way off the mark in charging this amount.
From what we found, it seems if you’re headed to a five-star hotel for tea and treats, expect the price tag that comes with the luxury surroundings and in-house products.
According to Ashford Castle, in the west of Ireland, afternoon tea for two is €120 - or €60 per person. This includes sandwiches, sweet treats and scones, tea, and coffee.
Meanwhile, Adare Manor, in Limerick, came in as the most reasonable, and charges €14.00 for two large teas, and €9.50 for their bakery basket - consisting of two croissants and a danish.
Kilkenny’s Mount Juliet charges €40 per person for their afternoon tea - which increases to €55 per person if you want champagne too. Two homemade scones are sold separately for €9.50 and teas are €4.25 each.
Lough Eske, a five-star hotel based in Donegal has a range of options:
- Traditional Afternoon Tea: €26 per person
- Children's Afternoon Tea: €15 per child
- Sparkling Afternoon Tea: €33 per person
- Champagne Afternoon Tea: €41 per person
Glenlo Abbey in Galway charges €38 for full afternoon tea and €58 for champagne additions.
What do you think? Is this a fair price to pay when in a five-star hotel? Have your say in the comments section
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