Western Motel
Note: Photo captions are time and place of WiFi connectivity.

May 21st, Part 2
Another scam from hotels and motels here.  Actually, it’s not really a scam, just really good PR I think.  And probably not relegated to just here.

We all know about Motel 6 and their big tall sign - usually much higher than others.  Big red “6″ shining out for all to see, with the price (usually) set out underneath in tiny magenta lightbulbs.

Well, when you find a Motel 6 in the midst of other motels, I’m betting that the advertised price of the Motel 6 is the exact same price as the other motels.  Why not?  People driving along in need of a room for the night see the now familiar Motel 6 sign and the price and assume the others, the mom and pop motels, are cheaper - I know I did.  The other motels that couldn’t afford a big tall sign simply look out their window and adjust their rates accordingly.

Except…

If you’re going to pay a set fee for a room, why not stay at the motel chain you’re familiar with, like Motel 6 - hey, they’re all the same, right?  Consistency.

Except…

Motel 6 knows this.  So, by the time you’ve checked the Motel 6 sign, checked with other, ‘lesser’ motels nearby and discovered they’re charging the same, you end up back at Motel 6.

And when you check in… the price is a buck (or more) LESS than the sign.  You remember this little sleight-of-hand and return to Motel 6 again and again because you assume (probably correctly) that they’re all the same in more ways than one.

I’m writing this in the lobby of the White Sands Motel - two doors down from a $33.95 per night (advertised on the big sign) Motel 6.  In the last fifteen minutes three cars have pulled up and asked what the rate was: $33.95 was the answer.  In each case they’ve gone back to their car and driven over to Motel 6.

I went over to Motel 6 and asked what a room would cost for the night: $32.95.

Smart!

Reporting tonight from near Holloman Air Force Base in Alamagodro, New Mexico