I just made plans to travel to Seattle for a business conference and have to ask who is paying all these high hotel rates? It was hard to find a room in downtown Seattle for less than $300 a night. That seems pretty crazy in today's world of lower wages and business cut backs. I've already avoided the city several times due to this fact. I just don't like to foster this kind of trend. It is one thing to be a luxury hotel and guests go there for a certain kind of treatment or experience, but a normal downtown chain like Marriott or Hilton? Business travelers are gouged because of expense accounts. Cruise travelers are gouged because they are there and it's the season for Alaska cruises and so on.

Even paying close to $300 a night, I'll probably be back on here complaining about some kind of add-on fees to that rate. Resort fee? Parking fee?

Adam