Hotels that are price gouging

I know of one which is Quality Inn which seems to feel that a mark-up of their usual rates which through the website link from choice hotels for a comparable stay in 2 weeks shows a rate range from 59.99-79.99 seems to feel that a stay at their facility for this weekend warrants a charge of $130-150. Ouch !! I stayed there 2 years ago for $50 a night and I was not that impressed as they seem to think they are a 3 star hotel which in Topeka only a few such as Topeka Plaza lay claim to. I will never again give them my business after seeing their business practice of taking advantage of people. You talk about supply and demand.

Its illegal and you could report them if you felt like it.

Not defending them in the least, but Nigel, you're wrong on the fact that it's illegal.

Check various tourist hotspots and you will see price variances due to a huge demand for a facility vs. not enough accomodations.

For example Las Vegas has hotel rooms that are extremely high during the winter/spring and they are much lower in the summer. Rationale, who wants to go to Vegas in the summer.

Another example would be Ski Resorts. Is there a reason that a hotel room is 1/2 the price during the summer than the winter. You bet - no snow.

Airlines also practice this as well as gas companies. Ever notice how gas prices go up during the Labor Day/Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc? It's not illegal.

Let me rephrase that, I didn't mean to say illegal, what I meant to say was unethical. While its perfectly fiar for business owners particularly hotel owners to riase their prices during a known event in the area, there is a point at which its becomes excessive. $130 a night for Quality Inn is most certainly excessive. Although there is no law regarding this, you can do one of two things. 1. Report them to the BBB, 2. You can boycott and encourage others to do so as well.

any other one's beside this, I see that Sleep Inn is charging aroud $ 125 a night.

Best Western Candlelight Inn has a standard room with 2 doubles for $104 + tax per night through Expedia that 2 weeks later will cost you $59 on Thurs and $68 on Friday.

I found these to usually be the Standard Room (which usually means 2 doubles or a Queen bed + sofa sleeper) rates for weekends at Topeka Hotels through Expedia ---
Super 8- $49-$54
BW Meadow Acres $52.51
BW Topeka Inn- $66-$72
Red Carpet Inn- $49-60
Fairfield Inn-$59-89
Sleep Inn- $69
Courtyard by Marriott-$69
Amerisuites- $69-79
Clubhouse Inn-$74
Days Inn-$69-79
Hampton-$73-$80
Quality Inn-$50 weekday /$92 weekend
Comfort Inn- $75-$85
Country Inn- $84-$94
Residence Inn- $85
Senate Luxury Suites- $95
Capitol Plaza- $124

Now, of course I imagine these are "NON-EVENT" weekends but when some of these lodging accomodations see fit to charge almost double their standard rates and there are quite a few that are, ..I would say something is wrong here.
Our governing board needs to lean hard on the Topeka Convention and Tourism Bureau to see if this can be rectified. I would imagine that the approx 800-1200 families spend an avg. of $150-$200 in lodging plus another $100-$200 in shopping, dining,fuel etc so that would mean a $40-60 thousand $$ boost to Topeka economy and I am being conservative here. (Its likely more like $120-150 thousand) Do they appreciate us or are we being taken advantage of ? I realize that venues to accomodate us are limited but come on now. If they see we are willing relocate to Salina for a couple years then perhaps we might be. I myself am saddened to see that the proposed arena for Olathe doesn't look like its going to happen.

The arena in Olathe is not going to happen. The developers dropped the arena from the plans in order to focus on retail development in their attempt to gain STAR bond approval from the State of Kansas. The proposed arena was to have seating for 9,000.

The proposed Overland Park development at 115th and Metcalf does include an 8,000 seat arena which is also attempting to secure STAR bond approval from the state.

It is my understanding that neither of these arenas would have the necessary floor space to host the event.

Salina, Olathe and Overland Park would all do the samething. Lucky for everyone that Topeka has the low everyday price and the double price gouging makes them happy. They could charge 4x normal price and still probably fill at least 1/2 the rooms and clean up would be alot cheaper too.

You are getting 50% off , SSSSHHHHH.

Blame your child if he or she wasn't so darn good at wrestling you would save all that cash.

Kahuna,

The economic impact on the city is more like 1.5 million from this tourney alone. This is why it suprised me when so few cities made an honest attempt in trying to land this tourney when I was on the board a few years back.

Wichita came in with an effort, but one that was sort of booed away after the debacles we've had with the high school state tourney.

Hays did try to bring it out there, but the arena just isn't big enough.

KC - no show.

Salina - see Hays.

In fact, when the selection was made, only one mayor showed up to voice his appreciation of what the tourney would do for the economy and what they would do to help. Coincidentally the tourney stayed in his home city.

As I pointed out, the raising of rates is not illegal and is a common business practice. If this tourney were to move anywhere else, similar prices would occur. You can't legislate price fixing unless there's a national crisis.

States that are affected by hurricanes have legislation in place to prohibit such a practice. You can't do it for the state wrestling tourney.

Options? Look to Lawrence's hotels. I know they see some heavier activity during the state tourney from savy parents that say we can wake up a half hour earlier for the drive. Or the Casino. What money you save can be blown on the slots!

The Kansas Wrestling Community can decide whether to frequent these establishments and pay the prices and whether to ever consider future stays at those hotels that choose to have the astronomical mark-ups because they(hotels) know that there are ging to be a large number of consumers(USAW-KS)/thus demand.. so lets take full advantage and make as much as we can from them suckers. I know I choose not to be a sucker. There are honest establishments out there and that is where my hard earned money will be spent. I would think that if those hotels with the high mark-ups found that they were not getting our business the prices would drop.

the red carpet inn absolutely sucks. i wouldn't stay there. last year we asked for our toliet to be fixed at three and when we came back at ten it still wasn't fixed.

WOW!

Hey guys I feel I must set the record striaght. I work for the quality Inn and I must say that we do not price gouge at all. While we do have seasonal rate ( as every hotel, everywhere does) they most certainly are not $130--the only exception would be a suite with like 5 people staying in it on an event weekend.

Bottom line OUR rate for this weekend. 69.99
(don't bother calling though, we've been sold out for over a month)

I'm the sales manager here, and if anything, I'll hook-up some fellow wrestlers. I definalty won't price gouge them.

You must be mistaken, it wasn't us.


I used to be thin and fit.

Price variations at hotels are normal. Just like with airline fares. If you look at the piece of paper on the inside of the door, it will list the maximum daily rate for that hotel room. I have stayed in hotels where the maximum rate on the door was $250/night, yet my rate was $60. It is all a matter of supply and demand. I have flown next to people who bought their airline tickets for $200, while I was paying $800 because it was a last-minute trip.
Stuff happens.

I stayed at the Super 8 motel on Wannamaker. 49.99 each night for a room for 2, rooms were clean, everything worked, and we got bagels and donuts, cereal, milk and juice with the deal.. I doubt if you could do better anywhere, and yet I was able to get a room on Thursday!!! Also, if you are interested in avoiding the hosem special that many of these places charge, you can book through Priceline or Expedia.com and get a standard rate that the chain has to honor as it is part of their agreement with those providers.