The cost of kashering hotels in Israel for the upcoming holiday will total $17 million at over 300 hotels around the country, according to a survey by the Hotel Union’s Economics Department, which conducted a survey for the first time this year to assess the costs associated with kashering hotels for Pesach.
The survey shows that on Pesach hotels incur costs 30-40 percent higher than on regular days. At hotels that are made glatt kosher, daily expenses went up as much as 60 percent. Extra daily costs range from NIS 50,000 ($12,000) for a small hotel to NIS 1 million ($240,000) at large hotels. Pesach preparations begin about a month before the holiday and reach their peak during the holiday, and are overseen by kashrus supervisors.
A large portion of the cost is spent on kashering the kitchen — thoroughly cleaning the storage areas, refrigerators and ovens (including replacing the rubber seal around refrigerator and oven doors) and replacing the serving dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils, plates, glasses, cutlery, storage containers, etc. with products bought especially for Pesach and kept in storage all year. Special Pesach keilim are also purchased for use in room service, along with the purchase of cleaning supplies.
Large sums are also spent on purchasing food for Pesach, which includes certain expensive products. Among the staple costs that rise significantly are wine (60 percent), eggs (50 percent), kosher baking products and meat (40 percent) and vegetables, especially potatoes (40 percent).
As the holiday approaches, hotels have their employees work overtime or bring in temporary workers to help the room service and laundry crews as well as the storage and maintenance workers. During the holiday hotels also pay significantly higher wages. According to Shmuel Tzurel, director of the Israel Hotel Union, the Pesach season is noted for the many excursions in Israel and abroad. “At the end of the day we’re happy that this investment is articulated in high occupancy rates during Pesach,” he said.
(Source: Dei’ah veDibur)
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One Response
As a part time mashgiach who has kashered numerous venues un the US in the past, I say the title of the article is misleading.
One can hardly call purchasing new dishes, and pesach food part of kashering costs. the dishes are used on an anuual bais, with minimal replenishing annually. Pesach food is certainly not a kashering expense.
$17,000,000 for kshering 300 hotels? All I can say is that I missed the boat!