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Shame Shame Shame
August 03, 2007Normal weekend rate at Best Western (both locations) in Wichita Falls - $69 per night
"Special" HH100 rate.... $269 per night.
That isn't only rediculous...that is absolutely price gouging. No question. Who knows, they may have been doing this for a few years, but with the shortage of rooms in the city due to the flooding and whatnot, you'd think they would back down a bit. Guess they're just being greedy.
What really stands out to me is that none of the other hotels are raising their rates, especially not the 4-5x the Best Western locations are. Looks like I'll be boycotting a hotel chain for a while.
By Lee Anderson/Times Record News August 2, 2007Finding accommodations for the massive influx of out-of-towners for the Hotter'N Hell Hundred traditionally causes headaches for people who need hotel and motel rooms and the organizers of the event.
This year is no exception.
In addition to a shortage of rooms throughout the Wichita Falls area for the event that attracts some 12,000 riders each year, at least two motels appear to be raising their prices significantly to take advantage of the visitors, director Roby Christy believes.
Click below for the rest of the story if you missed it.
Christy said the two Best Western motels in Wichita Falls have established "a Hotter''N Hell Hundred rate - which is four or five times the normal rate in Wichita Falls.""They established a rate of $269 per night, and it comes to about $300 when you add taxes," Christie said. "Not very many are willing to stay there. They (Best Western) have been unavailable for me."
Christie said he found out about the huge rate hike a few months ago when one of the ride participants emailed him about the situation.
"I contacted the Best Western national and they said it is a local decision. I explained to them that people who are going to be upset don't know the difference between Best Westerns. A Best Western is a Best Western.
"You can look at their Web site and they use the phrase 'low rate guaranteed worldwide.' I wonder what that means? The segment of this community that has the greatest opportunity to profit by tourism is poorly represented by Best Westerns' rate structure. In my opinion, it is an unfair rate and unjustified."
Mani Patel, the general manager of the Best Western Northtown, confirmed the price for the Hotter'N Hell weekend. The normal weekend rate, he said, is $69 per night.
"That ($269) is true," he said. "I have made them a good deal. Others make you buy two nights. They are charging much more.
"Some have lower rates but they make you buy two-night packages. They don't have to buy two nights here."
Patel said he doesn't feel his business is price gouging.
"Do you really think so? It is not. It is the one event of the year everybody is doing it. You have to meet supply and demand. People come in here year after year. This happens every year and you people start jumping on this."
The Best Western Wichita Falls Inn also charges $69 per night, with no special weekend rate, a spokesman said. It likewise is charging $269 for the HHH weekend, which comes to $306.89 with taxes.
The manager of that hotel was not available for comment late Wednesday.
Rates vary
A survey of other Wichita Falls hotels by the TRN showed that two hotels do require two-night stays - Hawthorne Suites and Ramada limited. But spokespeople said their HHH are much lower than the Best Western motels. Hawthorne's is $138 per night plus tax while Ramada Limited's is $89 plus tax.
Other motels contacted by the TRN said their rates for HHH weekend are not adjusted upward above their regular rates.
Christie said he approached the city about establishing an ordinance that would disallow hotels and motels from going up more than 60 percent for any event, not just the Hotter'N Hell. But the city said it was impossible since it wasn't an emergency situation.
"I worked with the city attorney and the Visitors and Convention Bureau, but they said it couldn't happen," Christie said. "They tried, but it didn't work."
Christie stressed that the event is highly supported by the majority of the hotel industry in Wichita Falls.
"We have criticized the price structure at the Best Westerns, but we get tremendous and appreciated support from most of the hotel industry in Wichita Falls," Christie said.
"Wichita Falls isn't the only city faced with this issue. Many cities that host huge, popular events actively try to find some common ground between event organizers and hoteliers in terms of their pricing. The CVB doesn't determine pricing for any business or organization, it's just not what we do," Wichita Falls Visitors and Convention Bureau director Tawanna Thomas said.
"We do know how important these types of events, such as HHH, are to a community and look forward to this year's tremendous event, as do so many riders who come to Wichita Falls," she said.
Flood impact
Christie said part of the shortage of motel and hotel rooms is because of the closing of the Knights Inn (old Tradewinds) and the temporary closing of the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, which suffered damage from last month's flooding.
"Hotels are booked up all around here all the way up into Lawton," Christie pointed out. "We have some trouble with hotels ...one (Knights Inn) that we had last year is closed and the Holiday Inn can't seem to make up its mind whether to be open because of the flood."
Christie said a representative of the Holiday Inn had said it wasn't being allowed by the city health department to reopen at this time, but he said the health department denied that.
"I called Nila Patel (hotel representative) and called her hand. She said there were a lot of situations with the catastrophe and that they were not going to be able to be open. I shamed her on that," Christie said.
He also said he couldn't persuade the hotel to contact those who had already made reservations for the HHH weekend to inform them of the closure.
"She wanted us to provide volunteers to call those with reservations and tell them there were not going to be open," he said. "I said no ...that it was their job. I don't know if they are going to call them or not. She would not give me a number for the local representative, just an email address. I got no response. I don't know what they have done about that. You just get a recording saying they are not open."
A sign on the door at the Holiday Inn said that it was closed for repairs caused by the recent flooding and that it was scheduled to reopen Sept. 1.
The closure of the two facilities equates to displacing at least 600 people, he said, possibly 1,200, since there are normally at least two people to a room.
New hotels
Possibly two to three motels that are under construction will be open in time for the late August event.
Clyde Katzaman, owner representative for the soon-to-open Ramada on Maplewood, said the construction project is 95 percent complete and that they hope to be open by Aug. 15.
Sonny Kurani, owner of the Baymont Inn & Suites and Days Inn & Suites, located on Kell Boulevard, also told Christie he is making an attempt to have the motels open in time to accommodate patrons.
"He said he is trying to have at least one of them open in time," Christie explained. "He has hired some additional workers and they are working on both to have them open. He hopes to know by the end of the week."
The Ramada will have 80 rooms and suites. He said room rates range from $69 to $149.
The Baymont Inn & Suites will have 65 rooms and the Days Inn & Suites will have 55 rooms, according to Judy Kurani, general manager and co-owner with her husband.
"We are running a triple crew so we can get them open," she said. "It is going to be tough. I can't predict it (opening). One holdup can hold up the whole process. We have always been a supporter of the local folks and we want to support what goes on in Wichita Falls."
Although the room rates haven't been determined, Judy Kurani said "they will be in line with anyone else in Wichita Falls."
"We have done a survey of Wichita Falls rates. There are standard rates and then those for the Hotter'N Hell Hundred," she said. "We are very much in line. Our goal is to help the community and not price gouge."
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