Spread love, RNC.
"Normally, hotel operators throughout the bay area would be thrilled to have full bookings in a week that's usually fairly slow. Instead, many are angry."
And why would that be?
Perhaps it's because the RNC, after signing contracts for rooms for delegates to its nominating convention in Tampa/St. Pete next year, has been calling those same hotels and demanding rate reductions. The hoteliers are crying foul.
From USAToday:
A crowd of hotel managers were told that their convention-week rooms would fetch less money during what they'd expected would be a routine update meeting last week, the story says.
"There were a couple hundred folks in the room slightly gasping,'' said Ron Alicandro, general manager of the Westin Tampa Bay. "We've all got signed contracts. None of us can understand it.''
...
The hotels agreed to hold about 15,000 hotel rooms for at least five nights of the convention. Each hotel agreed to block 90% of their rooms for convention goers, which meant they turned down other business that might have come in for the same week.
Now the Committee believes the rates contracted are too high and want to "find rates that are good for both parties." "Organizers" pointedly mention that the rates for which they're on the hook were negotiated under Michael Steele's tenure as Chairman, as if the Committee is somehow not responsible for any commitments made in the Age of Steele.
Such arguments will undoubtedly assure the GOP's hosts that the Committemen are the innocent victims of a malfeasant spendthrift. . .
. . . and not simply a bunch of cheap grifters who won't pay their hotel bill.