Not surprisingly, Tallahassee hotels are jacking up their room rates for FAMU Homecoming. Its that old supply and demand type rationale. When the demand for a product out strips the limited supply, capitalist owners usually charge the maximum price that the market will bear. This is simple business logic.Fine. We understand that. Fast forward, we took a look at hotel prices for FSU homecoming this weekend-vs-hotel prices next weekend for FAMU homecoming and what we found is real interesting. Same hotel room. Same city. Same demand, different prices. What's different? One crowd is predominately black, the other is largely white.
Here's a sampling of hotels and their prices:
Courtyard Marriott on the parkway is $109 for FSU and $219 for FAMU.
Holiday Inn Downtown is $149 for FSU and $189 for FAMU.
Homewood Suites is $179 for FSU and $219 for FAMU.
Comfort Suites on the parkway is $179 for FSU and $209 for FAMU.
(*rates quoted by hotels on October 26, 2007)
Note: Rates were also checked for the Doubletree and the Residence Inn (near the campuses) but they both were sold out for both weekends so we couldn't compare the rates.
not shocking at all.
ReplyDeletenot shocking, but not right.
ReplyDeletewhat r we going to do about this? can we get a student/alumni protest?
I am so saddened by the fact that White America continues to tell the world it aint about color the more we as African Americans know that it always was and always will be about color. And our color don't own NO Hotels in Tallahassee and that is PATHETIC since even Foreign Non-American own hotels in Tallahassee!!!! WE ARE WORST OFF THAN WE EVER HAVE BEEN IN OUR ENTIRE SICK SAD HISTORY IN AMERICA!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the space to house a couple of families for Homecoming. This room-jacking-up-the-price deal is absolutely incomprehensible. But we all know, of course, why this is so. Hoteliers have this notion that black patrons will trash their premises during the weekend--not that WF don't do this--but management believe that if they jack up the prices, then they are covering any presumed damage that is surely to come. This is truly what I believe is their logic/reasoning for upping their prices. Now, mind you, WF do as much god**** damage as anyone, but the hotel folk don't care about this. If you were to speak to any of them and they had the nerve & honesty to give you their reasons for this behavior, then this, I believe are the reasons they will give for doing what they do.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we worry about our poor graduation rate?
ReplyDeleteHow about the fact that ABA is going to shut the doors at our law school?
I think the demand will be a bit different. TCC has more students than FAMU. FAMU is small potatoes compared to most institutions in the state. In fact, it is about to be the smallest university in Florida....FGCU is hot on the rattler's tail....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we worry about our poor graduation rate?
How about the fact that ABA is going to shut the doors at our law school?
10/28/2007 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
I think the demand will be a bit different. TCC has more students than FAMU. FAMU is small potatoes compared to most institutions in the state. In fact, it is about to be the smallest university in Florida....FGCU is hot on the rattler's tail....
10/28/2007 9:05 AM
...and what in the hell does this have to do with the gatdamn hotels rates for our homecoming vs rates for FSU's homecoming.
Stick to the topic damn!!!
There are 48,000 hotels in the US and Black people own 178 of them. Consequently, you get pricing like this. Its really sad...
ReplyDeleteno rattlers work for any of these chains?
ReplyDeletewrite corporate HQ of these hotels...
...threaten a class action anti-discrimination lawsuit...
send emails...people power works FAMU! we know that so wh arre we acting like we dont know?
NuRattler needs to give this information to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations for a complete investigation. This is discrimination of the greatest extent of the Law. This should be done immediately. It should also be reported to the Department of Financial Services. This is also the State entity who is charged with investigating and finding abuse and fraud of Florida's businesses. This should be the 1st order of business tomorrow when they arrive at their desk. Only the one who did the collecting of this data can file this report. This has been going on much too long and we must stand for justice in all the arenas and for all. Please help the FAMU Fans by filing the report with the proper authorities. The consumer helpline at Financial Services is: 1-800-342-2762.
ReplyDelete9:01--can we not comment on other things in addition to "worrying about other things?" We really can chew gum & walk at the same time. Well, some of us can, anyway. The hotel piece is simply an informative lil' bit of news. Don't try and start some mess up in here. And BTW, we do "worry about the law school," FYI.
ReplyDeleteThe rooms at the Residence Inn were over $300 in June. I am not sure what the rates were for FSU Homecoming. Group blocks of rooms were cheaper.
ReplyDelete9:05 am and 9:01 am you all are so simple and I usually dont make personal statements that could be seen as a personal attack, but my God!
ReplyDeleteIf Tallassee Hotels are guilty of engaging in hotel gouging, I recommend contacting the Tallahassee Business Bureau and the State Dept. of Consumer Affairs with your findings.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we worry about our poor graduation rate?
ReplyDeleteYou're not one of "us" because you're not a FAMUan. You're the same anti-FAMU, pro-FSU person who spews nonsense on www.tdo.com.
FAMU's six year graduation rate 41.5% it is in the 40s just like most of Florida's public universities.
The quote below comes from "Region trails in college graduation rates," by Scott Travis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 13, 2007:
"As a statewide system, the graduation rate for Florida's public universities compares favorably with the nation's. About 63 percent of students finish in six years, compared with about 53 percent nationally. But seven of the 10 largest public universities in the state have six-year graduation rates below 50 percent."
It's clear that FAMU's six-year graduation fits within the standard for all universities in the state.
How about the fact that ABA is going to shut the doors at our law school?
Your belief that the ABA is going to shut down the law school is not a "fact." It's an assertation.
FAMU will be fine. The ABA will look favorably upon FAMU's progress just like SACS has since we ran out the inept Bryant administration.
As an employee of one of the hotels mentioned in the original post claiming "price gouging" i would like to firmly DENY that the prices were any different this past wknd than they are for FAMU fbal wknds. In fact, the FAMU rates are lower than those of the FSU games because they do not draw as high of a demand. The rates for all football games for both FAMU and FSU were $189 at the beginning of the season...as the actual date approaches and hotels realize they are not going to sell out, they lower the prices to get more rooms sold. Hence the lower rates for rooms this wknd because most of the hotels in Tally were not full. Next wknd's rates are still set at 189 but will also likely go down as hotels realize they are not sold out yet and need to get rid of those rooms.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is pure business...when the demand goes up the prices are going to go up as well. Why are airline rates higher for Christmas, Thanksgiving and 4th of July? Why are gas prices higher on Thurs-Sun than they are during the week? It's not fair..sure..but it's business and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
10/28/2007 9:23 PM
ReplyDelete^^^^^^
I don't believe that. Its been this way for years.
We need to do something about this!
ReplyDeleteThe only rationale - FAMU graduates are richer and can afford the higher prices. What are FSU grad? Farmers and hillbillies? How are they going to afford a hotel room unless they are subsidized?
ReplyDeleteWhy do some people try to find a boo under every rock in America?
ReplyDeleteWhen are you going to realize that the only color that matters in America is GREEN?
The prices are high because someone is willing to pay that price. Do you honestly think that a hotel manger cares what color your skin is? All he wants to know is if your credit card will clear.
Anytime a big group comes to town, every t-shirt vendor, restaurant, and HOTEL, wants to make an extra buck.
When people stop paying that price, the prices will come down.
As an SBI professor, I have to agree with the last comment.
ReplyDeleteEven if the manager is a racist, he still has a very strong profit motive.
To compensate for his irrational fears of impending destruction, he may seek to extract a "homecoming premium," but this premium will only hold to the extent his competitors are extracting the same premium.
There may or may not be racist hotel managers in Tallahassee, but I believe their profit motive will usually trump their hate. Otherwise they will not succeed in a competitive market.
My favorite economist:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2007/06/27/straight_thinking_101
the entire link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.townhall.com/
columnists/WalterEWilliams/
2007/06/27/straight_thinking_101
"WE ARE WORST OFF THAN WE EVER HAVE BEEN IN OUR ENTIRE SICK SAD HISTORY IN AMERICA!!!"
ReplyDeleteHow many generations since emancipation?
Many generations does it take to be successful in America?
Ask the Indians, Koreans, Chineese, Irish (hated worse than blacks), Italians (hated almost as much as blacks), or the Jews (much more oppression and slavery than blacks - in the course of history).
What is different about blacks? Nothing - except attitude.
Jews were slaves in Egypt - they trived.
Jews were murdered to near extinction in Germany - now they thrive.
Why can't blacks do the same? You don't have to embrace your oppressors, you just have to learn to exploit the economic system that they have created to your own benefit.
FAMU has a 41.5 percent graduation rate? What a joke, you should come down to Gainesville and check out how things should be done. Our university High School is more of a place for academics than FAMU.
ReplyDeleteGo Gators!
10/30/2007 4:13 AM
ReplyDeleteAnd you're on RattlerNation...Why????
FAMU has a 41.5 percent graduation rate? What a joke, you should come down to Gainesville and check out how things should be done.
ReplyDeleteMost of Florida's public universities have six year graduation rates that are below 50%. FAMU's is no different.
UF's always had the most generous state appropriations ever since it was first established. FAMU's had to work harder than UF for everything it's ever gotten. Nothing was ever simply handed to us.
That's why I went through Priceline and got the FSU prices for FAMU Homecoming.
ReplyDeleteBut really, are you that surprised?
4:13, yes, we know that UF has done well in all areas, because the university has had a JUMP START in every area. Hello? Are you listening? They've been appropriated more $$ than any other university in the system, which means they have $$ to go over and beyond what smaller university must do to simply survive from one year to the next. Obviously, you have no idea of the academic history of HBCUs--not that I'm excusing the graduation rate at my university--but when there are $$ in place and boatloads of programs and outside assistance for utilization of these concerns, then there might be a difference in the outcome. Oh, why bother explaining anything to you. Obviously, you'll never get it because you've simply bought into the notion that everything is "equal."
ReplyDeleteTallahassee has been racist since they placed FAMU on a snake infested hill (now the most coveted real estate in the city). But we negroes are too slow to do anything about it. What if we boycotted their hotels and instead reached out to the FAMU community in Tallahassee and surrounding areas and stayed in private homes and condos? Maybe there wouldn't be enough room for everyone, but I'm sure enough people would make the hotels feel a pinch.
ReplyDeleteIf FAMU had a little foresight the University would have graduated some hoteliers and bought some of the property around the school to develop some hotels. As it is whitey is encroaching with condos and other housing all around FAMU and FAMU is shrinking. We've been warned for decades about FSU South and the like. Sadly we often wake up too late.
2:21--what are YOU helping to do to resolve the problems that you speak about? Fill in the blanks: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ReplyDeleteJust what I thought. Nothing. Either put up or STFU.
Thanks for the research, for folks going to homecoming try to find elsewhere to stay...Boycott those hotels...Its simple also use resources like the net to get the best deals. For those of you that fresh out find one of your friends to stay with.
ReplyDeleteI checked prices this afternoon and they were alot lower.
ReplyDeleteI was the one to make the calls last week regarding this and then there was an article in the Tallahassee Democrat on yesterday. That article was a big LIE.
ReplyDelete