LONDON: Time with Santa Claus doesn’t come cheap this year after Harrods limited visits to its Swarovski crystal-encrusted Christmas grotto to families who have spent thousands of pounds in the London department store.
Families had to spend at least £2,000 in order to be eligible for 10 minutes with Santa under the Harrods Rewards membership plan, the Guardian reported on Friday.
The £20-per-child tickets for visits starting Nov 15 have sold out.
“Unfortunately, we simply cannot meet the demand for places,” a spokeswoman for Harrods told The Guardian.
The Knightsbridge store also bowed to pressure from some customers and offered the chance to win one of free 160 tickets to the Grotto.
The complimentary slots make up for less than 4% of places.
The 170-year-old store, which is owned by the state of Qatar, will collect at least £84,800 from the Christmas grotto.