Amara Singapore

[0212bride]

Hi gals

Just received email from Amara that our wedding dinner package will be affected by the GST increase. Amara will not absorb!!!

For those affected, what do u intend to do? was thinking we can all come up with some ideas here and feedback to the hotel. C what they can offer us to 'soften' the GST impact.

 

[happybeingmi]

i think this is absurd lor! very angry with the hotel. Then what is the meaning of nett price when the hotel cant keep to the promise!
we should gather all petitions and complain together.

 

[jenopc]

gals

relax relax... tings mayb cud be settled in a peaceful approach. i work with T&Cs and my products also include packages with "prevailing charges". to us, it means whatever rate at the point of consumption. and since our px is a "nett px" inclusive of prevailing tax, it should rightfully mean that our $xxx per table is fixed and shouldnt have any changes.

but in any case, for those of us who still have time, i tink its still best to talk to yr coordinator. But to be fair to them, dun be too mad at them.. its not their call but the mgmt's.

i put it this way lar.. if you screw up the relationship with the coordinators, u wun get wad u wan in the end still.

at this point of time, i can only wait for their reply on wads the outcome of my request to waive.

 

[0212bride]

Hi

When did u approach them to waive the GST increase? after the email announcement? let us noe whether u succeed

Do u mean u deal with T&C in ur work? So are our Amara packages supposed to b affected by changes in prevailing tax rates?

I noe tt its not the coord's call and they are just carrying out what mgmt wants them to do. However i find the email announcement v tasteless lor. short and curt. Govt wanna increase GST also make it a pt to tell us reasons and offer other benefits.

Hi Happy
What have u done in response to the email? I hv not responded yet. Kinda useless to reply and lash back cos afterall the coord will jus say mgmt decision. Think i will c if gets a waiver. If not let us all think what we shld ask for....

 

[happybeingmi]

Hi Latte,
I have not responsed. Thinking to get more opinions from the rest in the forum. If GST is inevitable, we can request to add more perks. Just that i dont understand why the mgt impose that on couples who have signed up much earlier on.I checked the package again which stated nett price including prevailing tax so by right it should be absorbed. The few hundred addition may seem little to the hotel as we may benefit from the Budget, but I just feel that a short email to implement the increase is not sufficient.
Anyway, we shall see if gets the waiver then decide.

 

[sweetie06]

Hi Ice Latte

can pls share ur pics with me?
my email is [email protected]
thanks

 

[jenopc]

Hi Happy and Latte

I replied to them once i saw the email. Ya i meant to say tat i deal wif T&Cs in my course of work. I also deal with corporate customers who behave like typical consumers.. just like us.

So i juz feel tat being a supposedly 'customer centric' industry, the hotel sud have experience in handling our situation. tats y i juz decide to request loh.

ya Latte, i agree wif u tat the email abit... duh.. haa... they tryg to sound positive and buffer the bad news.. but they sud explain more.. tsk tsk.... regarding the contract, there's actually a grey area somewhere. v tedious to explain, so i'll wait n c how they explain.

anyway, they shouldnt take too long to reply me.. o/wise i'll really get mad coz patience is seriously not my virtue...

 

[0212bride]

My gf asked Amara for 2008 prices. Found tt 2007 fri & sun is $775, sat & PH is $820

$775 means GST is 8.5% hor! I signed up at $750

I forgot the prev weekday & sat prices so u gals can calculate how much is ur actual increase. Even if the hotel not absorbing the GST hike, how come charge 1.5% extra huh?? If its for new customers the hotel can state any price but... us?

,
when did u reply to the email? send them another email dun let them hv time to strategise, beat abt the bush etc. Time shld b on our side not theirs.

Happy,
Let's reply to ask them NOT to increase our package. They sell us the idea of NETT saying its better than +++ out there cos we locked in our price. Since they nv mention the new price in their email I will say they shld not charge me $765 ($750 + 2%). See how they reply.

Wonder is there any place/body (eg CASE) tt we can refer our contracts to, c whether it is fair to increase our nett prices...

 

[0212bride]

Hi belle, elyn & sweetie

Do you mean pics to see the Amara banquet setup? If so shld ask from reismon. She shared with us pics on her dinner there using Romance theme

As u might c from the msgs b/w me, and happy we hv not held our dinners yet. Sigh no mood for pics now tt price increase. haha.

 

[happybeingmi]

Hi Latte,
I think Amara has raised their prices for quite a bit, may not be due to the gst. Generally prices for all banquet increase over the years, but the ang baos are not increasing at the same rate.
I will definitely email them not to add in the GST as it's really unfair to those who signed up believing it's NETT price.
I believe other hotels are not raising their prices due to the gst hike as my friends who have signed up with other hotels have not received such news.

 

[0212bride]

Hi Happy

I'm also replying today. Wish three of us luck and keep one another posted!

 

[cloud0829]

My understanding is for those who have signed up, the $xxx nett price for per table will be fixed. Amara stated they will not absorb GST should be for those "extra items" not included in the package itself.

E.g wines, change of menu that requires additional top-up value, hotel rates for guest room etc.

 

[0212bride]

Hi cloudie

Apparently there is 'new development' cos the brides who signed up last year received email from Amara stating that we will hv to bear the GST increase.

If u hv signed up better check email ya. Did amara quote u those prices I posted earlier today? If so maybe alrdy factor in the GST increase. Def those "extra items" on banquet day will b charged 7%.

 

[cloud0829]

Hi Ice Latte,

I signed up last week and has not received any email from them yet. Before we signed up we query about the GST hike before and that's what we were told.

 

[0212bride]

Hi cloudie

Wow congrats n happy to have another Amara bride to swap stories here

How much is ur package and for which day of the week? Perhaps your price alrdy incl the new GST amount?

 

[jenopc]

Hi Gals

P has not replied my email yet... seriously, i duno when they intend to... im gona give an email chaser...

anyway its no point we compare with the latest package. besides adding in the 2% increase, im sure they hv revised the px, juz like any other hotels... they raise their px every year..

at first i wanted to tell my bro to take amara hotel (dun care tat our relatives are gona eat the same food twice) coz its value for money.. now i changed my mind, coz of their untactful mgmt decision.

to my other gfs who are considering amara hotel... well i'll tell them to tink twice. Im not sorry to tell this hotel that they hv lost "tomorrow's sales" already...

 

[0212bride]

Hi

Yeh, its the untactful email tt we cannot take. Coming from a hotel where service is everything.

I also related this experience to my gf who wanted to check out amara for 080808. She's having second tots cos worried abt last min price adj too.

Did you relate those "lost customers" to amara in ur email?

 

[cloud0829]

Hi Iced Latte,

My package $775 nett, from the above posting I supposed it's the new rate for yr 2007 which has factored in the new GST hike.

 

[carowl]

hi reismion,

Can u share ur banquet pixz wif mi at [email protected]?
Thanks in advance

 

[reismion]

carowl:

sent u the pics to ur email. enjoy!

 

[rollfade]

[deleted]

 

[rollfade]

Hi all! I have also booked with Amara last year b4 the announcement of the 2% increase in GST was made. My FH wrote an email to them last Thurs to request a waiver, still waiting for their reply.

Reismion - Would you mind sharing your photos w me too? My email is [email protected].

 

[0212bride]

Hi cloudie

Yep yours is already the new price so no worries about the GST increase already

Hi rollfade
I sent the email on Sat. No reply yet as well. Let's keep one another posted, good luck!

 

[reismion]

rollfade:

've sent u the pics

 

[happybeingmi]

Hi,
I have checked with P. even nett price table also will be charged with the new increase of gst.I'm also waiting for the reply from them.

 

[rollfade]

Thanks reismion!

 

[babe_belle]

Hi All,
I wanted to email Amara to request a waiver in the GST increase but my FH told me not to as it is going to be a waste of time. Amara will just come up with the excuse that it is not within their control. Please let me know your outcomes. We should really petition or do something about it.

 

[0212bride]

Hi Belle

Do not accept without putting up a fight/case. Just feel we should make our discontentment known. The hotel shouldn't jus send an email announcement like that. Anyway I hv not gotten a reply. will keep u posted.

 

[carowl]

thanks reismion!

 

[jenopc]

Hi All

at first im the one tellg u gals to cool down. now im the one getting pissed.

i still hv yet to hear ANY reply from them. to think that they have the guts to send out such offensive emails, but yet hv no courtesy to reply. if they actually had no rebuttals/ counter-argument plans/ scripts in mind, i'll tink that this hotel is freaking poorly managed by a set of service-ignorant mgmt.

sud they be monitoring this thread - get this - this has been the perception created by yr lack of expertise.

They have no case. The contract writes "nett price is inclusive of ... and prevailing taxes". Prevailing does not mean the price at the point of contract signature, but AT ANY POINT IN TIME! how no-brainer can this get?

too bad the coordinator has to add fuel to the fire - by telling me she duno when the mgmt will reply. isnt this the typical head-banging answer we hear from customer service agents who doesnt feel any ownership of the very company they are workg for?

 

[0212bride]

Hi

Me too, hv not received any reply. U mean the coord actually said something to the effect of "waiting for mgmt directive"?

Do u think they are ignoring our emails until so close to our AD that we find it hard to book another venue and give in to the GST hike? This is atrocious service and if they plan to buy time its so unethical! I already stopped recommending Amara to cousins/colleags/friends who asked abt my package. I don't even noe what's my package like now

 

[happybeingmi]

Hi all,

Has anyone tried reporting to case? Is it a viable way, as there is no point waiting endlessly for them to reply. I doubt they will do anything before the Budget release date.

 

[qiqi81]

Hi all,

Does anyone of you manage to ask for waiver of corkage charges for all the red wine brought-in cos I look through the quotation sent by Amara that they are only willing to waive up to 12 bottles?

 

[0212bride]

Hi Happy
I'm sure can check with CASE whether there is any "case" at all here. Just that if this is accepted and CASE goes to Amara i think they will noe who complained. What if our dinner gena "extra ingredients" in the food?

Seriously if CASE can help then few of us shld go together if the hotel doesn't reply us b4 CNY. Like what noted from the contract: "net price based on prevailing tax rates". We r not being unreasonable.

Hi QiQi
I cannot rembr how much waiver i hv but definitely not full waiver of all red wine. U c the GST they already stir up a rackus. The GST increase for each table is abt the same as their corkage per btl. corkage will waive full?? doubt so.....

 

[dustydelvinia]

Hi girls,

Very sorry to interupt... I just had my wedding at Amara on Monday... and it was a fabulous experience. All our guests were satisfied with the food, service and portions and the banquet ops were very personable and thoughtful!

 

[jenopc]

Hi Juliana

Great to hear tat u had a successful party! and congrats too!

any pics to share? we're v picture kaypoh ppl.. keke...

anyway regarding their px increase issue, i guess i'll let it be for the time being... abit too frustrated wif prep the rest of the wedding stuff (all by myself)... guys juz dun help man..

 

[0212bride]

Hu Juliana

Yes please share ur pics with us. Which ballroom theme did u choose?

Agree with , guys will not offer help. Ask them for ideas, either no idea or keep saying too early to look at this n that. Even when given specific tasks they also seem not to put their hearts into it. Maybe wedding prep is really not their idea of "project".. more like a chore. Even the Amara email, he jus say "ya they too much!" but left the replying to me

 

[jenopc]

ya ya Latte!

my guy said EXACTLY the same ting! and also EXACTLY the same, left it at tat... haix. u noe, i asked him to handle the music for the march in... guess wad.. he asked "tot the bridal studio do for us de?"

... wad the fish?!... ask yr guy to beat tat man.. haha.. anyway i've come to terms tat they'll juz be like tat. my gfs started to see signs of anxiety in me... so started to tell me to lower my expectations of guys helping out..

well, anyway, now me gota get the wedding bands ready by ROM in May... gota tink abt the videographer... gota... gota... (@*@) *sob sob*

 

[dustydelvinia]

Hallo ladies,

Heh, my photos are not ready yet, so now got nothing to share.... but will upload a\nd let you girls know when its done!

 

[babe_belle]

Hi Juliana,
Congrats on your successful wedding dinner. Please share your pictures with me at [email protected]
I'll be looking forward to seeing it.

 

[happybeingmi]

Hi Juliana,
Congrats to you!May I know what theme you used that night? Was the guests amazed by the setup? I wonder what to choose, need to confirm very soon..

 

[cloud0829]

Hi Juliana,

Pls share with me too, thanks
[email protected]

 

[shirleylow]

hi do anyone have the Amara hotel wedding packages for 2007 or 2008? Because my AD will be end of 2008, so need to know the pricing.

Hows the food and the atomsphere there? nice? and which coordinator is good?

 

[0212bride]

H

Our guys really passed the same remarks?? Haha! Oh regarding the march in song, i alrdy experienced it during ROM. He said he dunno which song is suitable drag and delay until i shortlisted a few for him i.e. hv to serve him lor.

After that ROM experience I am all the more convinced I hv to take the lead, plan the schedules and activities/prep etc. So its probably a good thing I had the ROM as a "warm up", after which I really modified my expectations.

Where are u getting ur wedding bands? Its qt exciting to go round choosing and trying tog

ya do start looking early in case u need them custom made.

Btw, Amara replied u alrdy?

 

[bbgg6061]

hi,

The 7% GST will be effective from 1st July onwards. I guess Amara will give us a reply soon?

 

[jenopc]

Hi Latte

i hv PM u...

anyway ya lar.. guys are like tat de... so fed up sometimes. tink tat all these will happen by themselves... sigh..

i hv bought the wedding bands at lee hwa already.. its the affinity range. lucky my fren scream at me... o/wise i might not hv any rings. they dun hv my size so will need to custom make. only late april den can collect. my rom is 3rd may leh... *phew*

 

[lancerguy]

Anyone has any idea what is the maximum tables they can take?

 

[jenopc]

around 38 bah

 

[0212bride]

ya i think 35 - 38

i din get ur PM leh. can please try again?

or write to [email protected]

Gong Xi Fa Cai in adv!!

 

[bbgg6061]

I think can hold up till 45 tables if you dun mind a L-shape ballroom. There is another room that can join up to the ballroom.