Graduate To A Better Hotel

(In about a year my son is graduating from a large university with over 10,000 graduates. We have to make our hotel reservation really early to guarantee a room. I am calling the front desk of a particular hotel back about a room on the date they told me they’d start taking reservations.)

Employee: “Hello, this is [Hotel] in [Town]. How may I help you?”

Me: “Yes I’d like two rooms for this time next year for the college graduation. I need the room from [date] to [date].”

(I am requesting a room for three days and two nights. It will be from a Thursday to Saturday.)

Employee: “I am sorry but due to the fact that it is graduation weekend your reservation needs to be for at least two nights.”

Me: “It is.”

Employee: “How?”

Me: “Thursday night and Friday night.”

Employee: “Oh! That doesn’t work.”

Me: “Why not?”

Employee: “Because it needs to be two weekend nights.”

Me: “So you’re going to make me stay an extra night even though the ceremonies end on Friday and I have no reason to stay an extra night?”

Employee: “Yes.”

(This goes back and forth for a couple of minutes with me trying to convince her that I should be able to get the room for the dates I want. I don’t have any luck.)

Me: “Okay? So how much are rooms anyways?”

Employee: “$600 per room per night.”

(Note that this three-star hotel usually charges no more than $200 per night per room.)

Me: “So, you want me to pay an extra $1200 for two rooms I don’t need.”

Employee: “I guess.”

Me: “Well, I am sorry but not only is that a lot for a room I don’t have the extra money to spend on a room I don’t want. Nor do I want to. I will be booking somewhere else.”

Employee: “Fine then! We don’t want customers like you anyway. Someone else will gladly take this room. Good luck finding a better deal.”

Me: “Good-bye.”

(I did find a room at a different hotel for closer to $250 per night per room who treated me a lot nicer and thanked me for my service. They also didn’t make me charge for a night I didn’t want.)