The burrito at the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere comes with salsa and guacamole.
CNBC
DAVOS, Switzerland – Hungry attendees at this year’s World Economic Forum may find some foods a little difficult to eat, with some venues commanding sky-high prices.
Just a stone’s throw from Davos’ main Congress Center, the posh Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere is charging bettors 49 Swiss francs ($51) for a burrito on its “snacks” menu .
It comes with a small bowl of guacamole and salsa. For comparison, a burrito at Taco Bell can cost as little as $2.
A portion of French fries is also available at Belvedere for 21.50 Swiss francs ($22.41).
Back in 2015, CNBC found a hot dog selling for $43 at the same hotelacknowledged as a conference hotspot in a prime location on the main strip of Davos.
This year’s prices are perhaps less surprising given the recent rise in inflation, but it only underlines How expensive the World Economic Forum at the Alpine resort can be.
Swiss inflation hits 2.5% in April. And while that number may not come close to runaway prices in the US or EU, it’s still a 14-year high for the Central European country.
The mountains of Davos are mostly snow-free as the World Economic Forum takes place every year in May instead of the usual January.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Spring Davos
All in all, it’s a different kind of Davos experience this year, as the event is held in May, not January.
At the local grocery store cafe in Davos, next to the main Congress Center, it was almost impossible to find an empty table outside.
The terrace is often bustling with people eating, smoking, drinking coffee or simply enjoying the sun before they start the meeting. The Davos crowd was not used to the heat of the Swiss spring and made the most of it.
A passerby told CNBC as they walked down the main strip.
Another Davos attendee added: “I can’t get over how pleasant the weather is.”
The annual economic rally – which brings together the world’s most powerful and wealthy – traditionally takes place when the mountains are covered with snow and participants wear snowshoes and ski jackets wherever they go. where.
But because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s meeting was pushed back to the end of May and participants noted that this time it was much more realistic.
“Moving around, it’s more friendly – it’s more user-friendly,” said a businessman waiting at the gown shop. Elsewhere, CNBC caught two waiters taking a nap on a lawn near their restaurant — much easier without the two-metre snowfall on the ground. There is also a lot of ice cream on sale.
Waiters working at events just outside the main convention center in Davos took a nap on the lawn.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Sandals are not snow boots
At Spring Davos, there’s no fear of slipping or having trouble catching one of the few taxis or Ubers available in town – you can just walk everywhere, as long as it doesn’t rain. Wearing lighter clothing also means there’s no need to take off layers when entering the Congress Center – you just wear your professional attire, saving minutes on arrival.
Davos attendees quench their thirst with a free ice cream cone.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
This year’s event was an opportunity to go from meeting to meeting wearing sandals rather than snow boots, but attendees largely followed the formal dress code…so no any short suit in sight.
One delegate said a quieter Davos has allowed him more time for important meetings – but that’s not all good news.
“This year there were only fewer people. The meeting in May clashed with G-7 meetings, G-20 meetings, NATO meetings. All politicians and business leaders blocked the third week. January and it’s very hard to change that,” a CEO at one of Europe’s biggest banks told CNBC.
Packed Restaurants
Nearly 2,500 people are expected to participate at this year’s WEF – down from 3,000 in January 2020. And there are also obvious absences of big names, such as the leaders of the United States, China or India.
“Classic [January] The recipe makes the meeting even more special. [The spring edition] takes away a bit of the flavor of the original recipe,” Alberto Alemanno, founding member of the nonprofit organization The Good Lobby, told CNBC at the main Congress Center.
“Another political cycle in January, you’re starting over. New commitments, new commitments – it just makes more sense. [in January]”he added.
Even with fewer people, most restaurants are packed. Steakhouse Ochsen, known for its hot stone kebabs, said it was as busy as usual.
“They come for steak,” the waitress commented.
The famous hot stone dish at Steakhouse Ochsen. The meat is grilled over hot stones while you eat.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
