47 replies to this topic

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

Hi I have a hotel I booked a stay at for the eclipse they took a $98 deposit for a room at 97 a night, and now they called me and said the new rate was going to be 299 and I had to stay for a three night minimum. The hotel is offering me nothing and trying to get me to cancel. Now My trip is ruined. I know this is happening to others. The hotel is the yellowdiamond in murfreesboro Ark. Not sure what to do now? 

 

ideas?

[starrycanuck]

Do you have any contract or email or other documentation confirming the original rate and dates of stay?

 

Know any lawyers?

[timelapser]

Tell them you'll post reviews on all the big sites if they don't change their mind?

[mikepier]

Horrible actions on their part. I was on their website to see what they are like, this just looks like a small mom/pop private hotel. 

I agree, if you have something in writing, and email confirmation, consider taking legal action.

In the meantime, try checking the big chain hotels,( Hilton/IHG/Choice/Marriot/Wyndham) see if they have anything left at reasonable prices. You may get lucky. I have seen some still available in upstate NY at reasonable prices, you might find something in your area.

If you need to pay someone 300/night, might as well give it to someone else. Don't let it discourage you from seeing this event.

[Jim Haley]

If I was traveling to the eclipse on a budget and planning to dodge clouds in Texas in 2024 I would stay WEST of the eclipse path and travel east to view the eclipse (or NE/S to avoid clouds). That way I could stay away from all the folks wanting to return to the cities. Similarly for other states I would stay outside the eclipse path on the side opposite of major cities. Plus I would wait at least several hours before leaving eclipse (if not the next day). And I would have extra water and snacks and a mostly full gas tank. A portable bathroom is a huge plus (like in an RV or just a small porta pottie from Amazon) but do stay mobile!

 

Jim H

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

At first they wouldn't put anything in writing but I have my original reservation receipt with deposit paid they later sent me a email with a reference to the new rates. ( I had to trick them)  They said a Elipse committee met and decided to fix the prices of all the hotels in the town. I think hotels should be able to charge whatever they want but not after you have a reservation! I really should have booked with a reputable hotel or chain. I'm about to go public and file numerous complaints I don't think it will do me any good, but hopefully they think twice before doing this to someone else again. Thanks for the replies! I'll keep everyone posted! 

[Bigred77]

Is there a local TV news station you might be able to contact?

Maybe not so much to go after the local owned hotel, but I'm sure they would love to run a story about a city committee voting to fix prices on something like that

Edited by Bigred77, 31 January 2024 - 10:15 AM.

[mikepier]

Never heard of an Eclipse committee controlling hotel pricing. Sound like pure BS to me.

[Bob Campbell]

Hi I have a hotel I booked a stay at for the eclipse they took a $98 deposit for a room at 97 a night, and now they called me and said the new rate was going to be 299 and I had to stay for a three night minimum. The hotel is offering me nothing and trying to get me to cancel. Now My trip is ruined. I know this is happening to others. The hotel is the yellowdiamond in murfreesboro Ark. Not sure what to do now? 

 

ideas?

Here is their (unclaimed) yelp entry.

 

 

https://www.yelp.com...rt_by=date_desc

 

Kind of a dirty, undesirable facility. One review mentioned the overbearing management and their 'surveillance' of the guests.

 

Hope you find a good place to stay. You might have dodged a bullet here.

 

Bob

[Bob Campbell]

Have you tried airbnb?

 

https://www.airbnb.c...date=2024-05-01

[Mthanley]

Have you tried airbnb?

 

https://www.airbnb.c...date=2024-05-01

I reserved an AIRb&B over a year ago in the middle of nowhere TX, near Fredricksburg.   They emailed me several months ago cancelling my reservation.   I guess they finally realized that rentals were going for about $5000 per week in their area because of the eclipse (and I got mine for only about $1000.). these people have no integrity.

Edited by Mthanley, 31 January 2024 - 01:00 PM.

[mikepier]

How far are you willing to travel/stay outside Mufreesboro?

[Bob Campbell]

I reserved an AIRb&B over a year ago in the middle of nowhere TX, near Fredricksburg.   They emailed me several months ago cancelling my reservation.   I guess they finally realized that rentals were going for about $5000 per week in their area because of the eclipse (and I got mine for only about $1000.). these people have no integrity.

wow. And I just researched airbnb's TOS, and they are only obligated to try to find you equivalent lodging if the host cancels within 30days of the start of the reservation.

 

Bob

Edited by Bob Campbell, 31 January 2024 - 01:10 PM.

[SkipW]

Horrible actions on their part. I was on their website to see what they are like, this just looks like a small mom/pop private hotel. 

I agree, if you have something in writing, and email confirmation, consider taking legal action.

In the meantime, try checking the big chain hotels,( Hilton/IHG/Choice/Marriot/Wyndham) see if they have anything left at reasonable prices. You may get lucky. I have seen some still available in upstate NY at reasonable prices, you might find something in your area.

If you need to pay someone 300/night, might as well give it to someone else. Don't let it discourage you from seeing this event.

I made a reservation at a Wyndham property in Fredericksburg, TX one year before the eclipse, the morning reservations became available on their website. The motel manager called me a few weeks later telling me they would cancel it unless I agreed to a new rate about 7 times higher. I asked for a few days to think about it, and emailed Wyndham corporate asking about this. While waiting, I made another reservation at a Holiday Inn(IHG) at their regular rate, but not as close to the centerline as Fredericksburg. A little later I got a rather curt "blow off" email from Wyndam. When the manager called me back, I offered to accept twice my original rate, but she refused to budge so I refused to pay the new price and they cancelled.

 

I used to preferentially stay at some Wyndham properties when travelling because I considered them good value for the money. No more. I intend to never stay at, or recommend, any of their properties ever again.

[kasprowy]

I've posted this a few times already. The World Shooting Complex in Sparta, IL is run by Illinois State Parks. There will be 2m59s of totality there, and there are currently 541 available camping sites at $20 a pop (April 7 to 8). I watched the 2017 eclipse from there, and the view is clear horizon to horizon. No gouging, no cancelling, and no having to rebook at ridiculous prices. Totality is 42s less than Murfreesboro, and cloud chance is 57% vs 56%. Even Texas by comparison (where gouging appears to be rampant) the cloud chance ranges 49% ~ 59%.

 

https://camp.explore...om/location/285

Edited by kasprowy, 31 January 2024 - 01:39 PM.

[mikepier]

I made a reservation at a Wyndham property in Fredericksburg, TX one year before the eclipse, the morning reservations became available on their website. The motel manager called me a few weeks later telling me they would cancel it unless I agreed to a new rate about 7 times higher. I asked for a few days to think about it, and emailed Wyndham corporate asking about this. While waiting, I made another reservation at a Holiday Inn(IHG) at their regular rate, but not as close to the centerline as Fredericksburg. A little later I got a rather curt "blow off" email from Wyndam. When the manager called me back, I offered to accept twice my original rate, but she refused to budge so I refused to pay the new price and they cancelled.

 

I used to preferentially stay at some Wyndham properties when travelling because I considered them good value for the money. No more. I intend to never stay at, or recommend, any of their properties ever again.

Wow, so even Wyndham corporate told you "too bad"?

 I booked a few Wyndham hotels last year, I did not  get any notifications, and I just checked, the rates are still the same when I first booked it. I'll have to keep one eye on it.

[Bob Campbell]

I made a reservation at a Wyndham property in Fredericksburg, TX one year before the eclipse, the morning reservations became available on their website. The motel manager called me a few weeks later telling me they would cancel it unless I agreed to a new rate about 7 times higher. I asked for a few days to think about it, and emailed Wyndham corporate asking about this. While waiting, I made another reservation at a Holiday Inn(IHG) at their regular rate, but not as close to the centerline as Fredericksburg. A little later I got a rather curt "blow off" email from Wyndam. When the manager called me back, I offered to accept twice my original rate, but she refused to budge so I refused to pay the new price and they cancelled.

 

I used to preferentially stay at some Wyndham properties when travelling because I considered them good value for the money. No more. I intend to never stay at, or recommend, any of their properties ever again.

The  new corporate ethics. As long as all the companies collude with this philosophy,

they will get away with it.. No choice for the consumer.

 

Bob

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

Do you have any contract or email or other documentation confirming the original rate and dates of stay?

 

Know any lawyers?

I've got it all in writing but the hotel doesn't care they cancelled me today.  

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

I've posted this a few times already. The World Shooting Complex in Sparta, IL is run by Illinois State Parks. There will be 2m59s of totality there, and there are currently 541 available camping sites at $20 a pop (April 7 to 8). I watched the 2017 eclipse from there, and the view is clear horizon to horizon. No gouging, no cancelling, and no having to rebook at ridiculous prices. Totality is 42s less than Murfreesboro, and cloud chance is 57% vs 56%. Even Texas by comparison (where gouging appears to be rampant) the cloud chance ranges 49% ~ 59%.

 

https://camp.explore...om/location/285

Thanks for info

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

How far are you willing to travel/stay outside Mufreesboro?

I'm not sure the whole trip is in jeopardy now we are actually starting off in Hotsprings the night before... But I think I have to cancel the whole trip now. 

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

Is there a local TV news station you might be able to contact?

Maybe not so much to go after the local owned hotel, but I'm sure they would love to run a story about a city committee voting to fix prices on something like that

Actually there is I thought about contacting them about the "eclipse committee" and the price fixing in the town. Not sure if they'd do anything. I'm even doing a FTC complaint! 

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

Tell them you'll post reviews on all the big sites if they don't change their mind?

The funny thing about reviews is I think you have to stay at the hotel and then indicate dates. That way my hotel is off the hook since I never got to stay there. 

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

I'm trying to get a list together of problem hotels that we can list   https://www.cloudyni...ervations-list/

[Bob Campbell]

The funny thing about reviews is I think you have to stay at the hotel and then indicate dates. That way my hotel is off the hook since I never got to stay there. 

on yelp, I see reviews of businesses that just had very unprofessional behavior during the process of scheduling an appointment, etc. That is analogous to what I think happened to you.

 

Bob

[Hotel Price Gouge Victim]

on yelp, I see reviews of businesses that just had very unprofessional behavior during the process of scheduling an appointment, etc. That is analogous to what I think happened to you.

 

Bob

Thanks I haven't gone to yelp yet but that's helpful information for leaving a review.