College towns often struggle to accommodate visitors during events like graduation day, leading to a shortage of hotel rooms and inflated prices. Parents of college students often face inflated prices during events like family weekends or homecomings. To avoid graduation day nightmares, it is recommended to book early, explore alternatives like Airbnb, and check secondary markets for hotel room availability. Pricing algorithms for airlines and hotels tend to increase prices when demand is high, resulting in parents having to pay exorbitant prices for accommodations during high-demand events.
Toni Milbourne experienced this issue before her daughter’s graduation from West Virginia University, where hotel room rates in Morgantown doubled and prices in nearby towns tripled to $350 a night. She described this as price gouging and emphasized the importance of being aware that companies may take advantage of people during celebratory times. The imbalance of supply and demand in smaller college towns with limited hotel accommodations often leaves parents with no choice but to pay inflated prices or seek alternative solutions.
Professor Chris Anderson from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration explained that smaller college towns may have limited hotel rooms compared to the influx of visitors during events like graduation day, leading to pricing imbalances. Parents must often pay high prices for hotel rooms and flights due to high demand and limited availability. To avoid these challenges, parents should consider booking accommodations well in advance, exploring alternative options like Airbnb, and checking out secondary markets for hotel room availability.
Shama Diegnan, a digital marketer from South Orange, New Jersey, proactively sought accommodations for Parents Weekend at a Midwestern college even before her younger son accepted the school’s offer. She was surprised by the exorbitant prices, with one local hotel charging over $1,000 a night, much higher than its usual rate. Diegnan opted to book a $300-a-night Airbnb 10 minutes from campus instead, saving money compared to local hotel rates.
Tips for avoiding graduation day nightmares include preparing early by booking accommodations well in advance, checking out alternative options like Airbnb, and exploring secondary markets for hotel room availability. Homeowners on Airbnb or VRBO may offer additional rooms, apartments, or houses on high-demand dates that hotels cannot accommodate. Online hotel marketplaces have also emerged to help individuals offload prepaid rooms they no longer need, similar to a StubHub secondary market for hotel rooms. It is important for parents to be proactive in finding affordable accommodations during major events like graduation day in college towns to avoid paying inflated prices.
In conclusion, parents of college students often face inflated prices and limited availability of hotel accommodations during events like graduation day in college towns. By booking early, exploring alternative options like Airbnb, and checking secondary markets for hotel room availability, parents can avoid potential nightmares and find affordable accommodations. It is important to be proactive and aware of potential price gouging by companies during celebratory times, and to seek out alternative solutions to secure accommodations at reasonable prices.
