Like many folks I’m old enough to have witnessed eclipses of the sun in some format --total, annular, half-assed, or whatever -- before. I’ll watch this one too. But I don’t think I’ll be paying $7600 for a mandatory two night stay at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas this weekend to enjoy the privilege.
As Ben Blatt writes for the New York Times, hotels are gouging eclipse-envious customers to an unprecedented extent this time around.
The Super 8 hotel chain is considered an inexpensive option for travelers, and it has over 1,400 American locations. About 300 of those are within the path of totality, and 100 of those were sold out for Sunday or Monday, according to the Super 8 website.
Roughly 45 percent of Super 8s within 25 miles of the center path of totality that still had vacancies were listing rooms for at least double their usual price. One Super 8 in Grayville, Ill., advertised $949 a night for a Sunday-Tuesday stay. Its normal advertised nightly rate is $95.
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More expensive hotels in large cities are also seeing a spike. The Ritz-Carlton in Dallas is currently listing a two-night stay at $7,600 for Sunday-Tuesday. One week later, the price for a two-night stay will be $1,329.
They call it “dynamic pricing” which I suppose is exciting “corporate speak” for price gouging. What if it’s cloudy? Think you’ll get a refund? Heh, heh, sure you will!
Apparently some of these hotels have cancelled existing reservations, claiming they inadvertently “overbooked,” then re-charged them for up to a 500% markup.
I guess I’m jaded. Look, I revel in astronomical phenomena as much as the next guy. But I guess I question whether an eclipse is really a top tier astronomical phenomenon. It’s not a star going supernova. It’s not a quasar. It’s not like seeing the Milky Way from Joshua Tree. It’s not even a Bolide, for God’s sake.
It’s a big shadow!
And you’re really not even supposed to look at the damn thing!
But it’s apparently going to be an incredible bonding experience for Americans:
Part of what makes a total solar eclipse so special is that it's rare. When such events happen over large swaths of the country – as was the case in 2017 and will be on Monday – it’s a bonding experience for millions of Americans.
The excitement and buildup ahead of this year’s eclipse and the fact so many of us will watch it at the same time is reminiscent of a celestial Super Bowl.
Well, I’m really looking forward to feeling “bonded” with all my fellow Americans, but something tells me that’s not gonna happen.
Yes, I know, for many it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. But does anyone really pay $1000 to stay in a Super-8 roadside hotel for this? Without even a continental breakfast?
I mean, are all the road shoulders going to be fenced off? Or will someone charge for parking there too?
Not sure why I’m not feeling that enthused. Perhaps I’m just not enamored with the whole “bucket list” attitude. Gotta travel to see the eclipse so I can post it on TikTok along with fifty million other people!
Let’s look at some dry stats from NASA:
- The maximum number of solar eclipses (partial, annular, or total) is 5 per year.
- There are at least 2 solar eclipses per year somewhere on the Earth.
- A total eclipse can only happen during a new moon.
- Total solar eclipses happen about once every year or two.
Now yes, seeing one depends on where you are. But I think that the folks who witness the next total solar eclipse as viewed from, say, Eswatini, won’t be charging the locals the equivalent of $7600 for a mandatory two-day stay in a hotel chain probably owned by some private equity, hedge fund operation whose directors are laughing all the way to the bank (By the way, the weather in Dallas on Monday? Pretty cloudy). I doubt their housekeeping staffs will be getting 1000% raises that day, either.
Or a thousand bucks to stay at a roadside Super 8. While people in this country are apparently still complaining about the cost of gas and eggs. WTF?
Honestly, more than anything this kind of FOMO hype (get your eclipse recipes here! Or here!) really has made me think of David Geffen, or Warren Beatty, or whoever the hell this song is about (it’s been in my head all week, in fact):
Enjoy the eclipse! I’ll be out tonight celebrating that the Phillies are finally at .500, with the obligatory pre-eclipse dinner.