[masraum]

I don't think what you're describing is in any way unusual. I would think that there should be some limit, but who/how is that limit decided is the big question? I suspect there's no good/easy answer and it continues to occur because someone is willing to pay if someone else isn't. Agreed, $119 room does not become a $400 room. Maybe it's really a $225 room, but because of the fact that it's a small town, they lose money for a lot of the year or Sun-Thu and then are able to make a profit on weekends or graduation nights.