Hotel chains investigate alleged price gouging

I hope the people who were over charged get their money back! It was not fair to do that in the first place.

This just makes Farmington look really bad. Hope the Connie Mack players and Families don't get treated this way. These people need to be getting a refund, they may never come back again and tell their friends and they tell their friends.......
Wake up Farmington we need the income.

I used to work at one of those hotels. It's such bull. Those two hotel managers are like brothers outside of work, but their not related. They do stuff like this on a regular basis. I had more than a few people take his arbitrary rate hikes out on me, like I was the one setting the price. It's immorale in the most severest sense. Employees aren't thought of much better than customers either.

Not to surprising this happen in Farmington, jusy hope it don't hurt our chances of getting other big events in town.

Another fine job of bringing the facts to the readers of this newspaper. Keep it up.

George Schwarz, publisher, The Amarillo Independent

I like how the report says the Marriott did not raise prices. Just like said in the other article. Donna Mills and Keith Barbeau are covering their a****. I wonder who is actually the general manager or who really runs the hotel because it is not Barbeau.

Our future young poeple have spoken, thank you for slapping certain Farmington motels in the face and wakeing up the Farmington committee.

I think it is time for the City of Farmington to run Patels and others like them out of town. They are greedy and setting bad examples for city events. Patel already admitted that they jacked up the prices to make money, how pathetic. Arabs, Pakistans, India, Chinese, Vietnamese and now Iraqis and Afghan have customs to make money anyway they can and never donate a penny back to the people they serve. They are doing this to small towns all the time along the Interstate highways.

From the other article in the Daily Times about the hotels (7/29/08):
"'If you don't like the price, you shouldn't stay at my hotel, right?' said Amish Patel, who manages Days Inn."

Don't know about everyone else, but it really doesn't sound like it was "a new employee's" fault for not charging what the hotel intended to in the first place.

Thanks to Daily Times for giving an update on this, Good job! I'm sure now them folks will get thier money back after the investigation!

A fine update by the Farmington Times!

As a long time native of Farmington, this is the first I have seen a report of the unethical practices our local or visiting natives had to deal with.
people like Amish Patel needs to stop blaming his employees for the mistake in pricing, instead say he was greedy.

Just forget about hosting altogether any more. The hotels will do it next time now that they know how to get around thesystems. They'll jack up the prices when the people are making reservations, being a former member of NHSRA the committee can still designate a standby host city. Shame on you Farmington.

Rez Boy wrote:

From the other article in the Daily Times about the hotels (7/29/08):
"'If you don't like the price, you shouldn't stay at my hotel, right?' said Amish Patel, who manages Days Inn."
Don't know about everyone else, but it really doesn't sound like it was "a new employee's" fault for not charging what the hotel intended to in the first place.

Tony is not a manager per say but an owner and a new partner in the anazasi inn and they all have their special dinners and volley ball together with days inn manager and the rest of the east indian owers. they all either come from the same village or have married into that village or had an arranged marrage then sometimes devorce for green card etc. etc. so if they do not respect the rules and regulations of our federal government what makes you think that they will respect and obey our local and state rules?

If a reservation was made and accepted then that should be the rate and no increase should be allowed. That will give a black eye to all of Farmington not just the hotels that did the what I would call illegal practice of price gouging. Those people should be punished!!! I know that I will not recommend those places to any of my contacts period!

I tried to make reservations in December 2007 for the upcoming NHSR Finals in Farmington. I had called every hotel, found one I liked and was offered a double for $55 night room for my family. About a month later, I called to "just check on it" and found that the price was going to DOUBLE as it was during the rodeo. I quickly cancelled my reservation and rented a camper to stay on the grounds for $65 a night! Much better deal, too!

This hotel definitely tried to screw the people and hike the prices! NOT a good thing considering all of the money HIGH SCHOOL RODEOS bring to the town!

Hype wrote:

I think it is time for the City of Farmington to run Patels and others like them out of town. They are greedy and setting bad examples for city events. Patel already admitted that they jacked up the prices to make money, how pathetic. Arabs, Pakistans, India, Chinese, Vietnamese and now Iraqis and Afghan have customs to make money anyway they can and never donate a penny back to the people they serve. They are doing this to small towns all the time along the Interstate highways.

I completly agree with no gouging, but making money is THE AMERICAN WAY meatball!

Frequent Visitor wrote:

A fine update by the Farmington Times!

I'm surprised i got what i asked for, an update. From the first article, good for them. good job, I agree.

Room rates wrote:

I tried to make reservations in December 2007 for the upcoming NHSR Finals in Farmington. I had called every hotel, found one I liked and was offered a double for $55 night room for my family. About a month later, I called to "just check on it" and found that the price was going to DOUBLE as it was during the rodeo. I quickly cancelled my reservation and rented a camper to stay on the grounds for $65 a night! Much better deal, too!
This hotel definitely tried to screw the people and hike the prices! NOT a good thing considering all of the money HIGH SCHOOL RODEOS bring to the town!

Aww! exactly what was written in letter to editor section!! I can definetly see this happening next year. Hey Farmington, you better open a rv park for next year before the Patel's do.

How rotten is Amish Patel & Tony Patela? Perhaps the Day's Inn and Rodeway Inn should be held up as an examples of who people should not do business with and see how long they keep thier jobs. I bet they are rubbing their hands together since Connie Mack is coming. SHAME ON THEM!

LEE