A dad on holiday in a luxury French estate took to TikTok recently to share his shock at the price of soft drinks. He payed 30euros for three Coca Colas – that’s £25.75 or £8.53 each.
Mario Zelaya, who has over 94,000 followers on TikTok @supermarioselaya, posted a video clip of himself aghast at the cost. He showed the receipt from his trip showing the high prices.
Mario, who calls himself a "serial entrpeneur", is a dad-of-two from Canada. However, in the comments of the clip, people called him out for complaining about the price when he was staying in a five-star hotel in Versailles, France.
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Versailles is a former palace built for King Louis XIV of France. The former royal residence is known as a centre of opulence made by generations of architects, sculptors and artists.
Versailles most famous room is the Hall of Mirrors – a grand gallery filled with chandeliers and gold statues. But Mario didn't stay within the walls of the palace and instead opted for a Hilton property that can cost over £2,000 a night.
Mario captioned his video the "five star hotel tax" and said: "Never in my life did I think I’d ever spend $45 for three Cokes. That’s $15 per Coke. Three Coca Colas…. 30 euros."
The receipt the dad showed in the background stated that the charge was for lunch at the Bar Valerie in Versailles. The restaurant is at the Waldorf Astoria in Trianon Palace.
Looking at the website for the Hilton hotel the cheapest room next week will set you back £443 a night. While the most expensive – the Palace 5 Star King Terrasse with a Castle view of Versailles is priced at a whopping £2,218 a night.
Mario dubbed the cost of the drinks a "rip off" and said "never again". The bill showed that he had also purchased a €29 burger, three other burgers for €96 and spent a total of €155 (£133.05).
In the comments, one person said: "Well the bacon cheeseburger was 33€ each, so the coke is cheap comparatively."
While another added: "Europe is soooooo expensive." A third noted: "I've done that in Portugal. Wine was cheaper than pop and water."
But, others questioned if Mario was simply showing off about his luxury trip. One said: "Tell me you're using a money complaint to flex how rich you are with your Versailles vacation without telling me."
While another joked: "Yes because Versailles is a universal symbol for frugality!"
Another noted: "Go to most expensive place in Versailles and expecting prices like McDonald? They was give you menu, you was know it what you can expect."
But, others sympathised with him as the cost was so different from over the pond. One person said: "In those parts of Europe it is often like that – considered a sugar tax. I've paid €3 for a can at a convenience store."
In another video, Mario complained that he had a “dreadful time” at Disneyland Paris due to the “huge bill” he racked up from the pricy tickets to the £101 he spent per person for fast passes.
The palace itself has been open to tourists for years as an attraction, but in recent years has allowed holidaymakers to stay within its walls. Le Grand Contrôle is nestled inside the gate of the magnificent Château and the decor is utterly breathtaking.
If you stay at the hotel then you’ll have after-hours access to the palace and its ground after everyone else has left. But, it will cost you from £1,716 to £8,953 a night.
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