HIGH HOPES FOR LOW COSTS
What's Going On With Hotel Booking Prices In Texas?
The Lede
With widespread power outages across Texas leaving residents without heat this week, people have gone online to check out hotel room rates, only to find third-party websites displaying absurdly high prices. Hotels have contended that this is an error, though hotel rates are still expected to be higher than usual right now.
Key Details
- In recent days, Twitter users have posted screenshots of hotel room rates ranging from $500 to $999 per night — prices greatly inflated from the norm.
- A spokesperson for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has said that this is an automatic response to high demand intended to deter people from booking rooms they don't have, and that these exorbitant prices should be temporary.
- Though price gouging is illegal, hotels do habitually increase prices slightly during storms.