# Hotel pricing quirk? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218 "2022-09-08T13:43:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/61 "2025-01-04T22:07:38Z")
In a case of tastes differ, I find it cute and clever. My employer’s current preferred brand has the banal Hilton Honors. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/62 "2025-01-05T00:07:30Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > A few weeks ago I was on my way back from Wyoming and found myself in De Moines and badly in need of sleepage. Des Moines tends to affect people that way. > [@](#): > > I went into a hotel that had very few cars in the lot. Desk clerk quoted $160. I went on line (using their free Wi-Fi btw) and found it for $79! When I pointed that out to the clerk she said She couldn’t give it to me at that price I would have to actually make the reservation on line. How absurd. Jack Reacher has great success negotiating low room rates at hotels/motels, sometimes paying $20 or so just for an hour or two to use the shower and maybe get a quick nap. Of course, it probably helps if you are as large and mean-looking as Reacher.\* \*in the book, not the movies. I doubt Tom Cruise could intimidate anyone into taking $5 off a night’s stay. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/63 "2025-01-05T13:40:30Z")
OTOH, they pay a fee to Expedia, ~~Orbitz~~ Expedia, ~~Travelocity~~ Expedia, etc. if you book online. I’ve called up some (small, independent) places & they won’t go a penny below the online price. They don’t get the concept of cutting out the middleman, give me a few $ off & them saving by not paying the fee. Well then, the heck with 'em, I know I’m going to be better off w/ Expedia if something goes wrong than with some little roadside motel two states away so I’ll book it online & let them pay the fee. ---
**Author:** ![Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slight_Off_Hand)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/64 "2025-01-05T14:07:22Z")
They are most likely contractually obligated not to undercut their resellers. Back when I worked in the industry we could match the pricing if we could view the lower rate but that was the best we could do. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/65 "2025-01-05T15:04:15Z")
None of the incidents I’m at describing involve any third part booking sites. I was looking up prices on [Marriott.com](http://Marriott.com) or 1-800-best-western (or whatever that was 25 years ago). Actually that brings to mind a question, in these franchised hotel chains who sets the prices on the chain’s website? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218/66 "2025-01-12T17:29:59Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Jack Reacher has great success negotiating low room rates at hotels/motels, sometimes paying $20 or so just for an hour or two He depended on the venality of the underpaid clerk at the front desk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-pricing-quirk/971218.md?page=3)