La Vida ZIHmplificada

In the 1990s I did advance work and camera work for a TV travel series. At one point we did interviews with personnel at an Ixtapa todo incluido. The general manager told us that all of their supplies came from Mexico City because it was cheaper than buying locally. He also said that food and beverages (open bar) came to under US$10/person/day. (This would have been about 30 years ago, so adjust for inflation.)

A general manager at a non-inclusive hotel at about the same time said that the hotel sold the room portion of the same vacation package of airfare and hotel at lower prices in the American market than the comparable Canadian market. (Think Seattle/Vancouver; Toronto/Buffalo; etc.)

The reason was that Canadian guests spent significantly less “in hotel” than American guests. Canadians would go across the street for breakfast while Americans would have the hotel buffet. Canadians would go across the street for drinks; Americans would go to the hotel bar.

He said the hotel tracked every dollar spent in the hotel by room number.