Conventions and hotel price gouging

I had a good laugh when I read the “Even motel rates soar” article in the Jan. 5 Review-Journal. I cannot understand why it appears acceptable when motels and hotels raise their room rates by a factor of anywhere between four and 13 during busy conventions and holidays.

I had two retail gasoline outlets in our city for 25-plus years. Both outlets were in tourist locations. If I or other gasoline retailers ever raised prices one or two pennies per gallon during a tourist influx, we were accused by the media of price gouging the public.

My question: If we were labeled “price gougers,” what should those running our motels and hotels be labeled?