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Did you ever notice that at cheaper hotels, you get free breakfasts, free internet, free parking, and frequently, a free appetizer/cocktail hour? At expensive hotels, you pay the valet, pay to park, pay for wifi, and there is no free food.
Same goes at more expensive restaurants. I just watched a show on TV where a couple paid $800. for a dinner in Las Vegas, and although there were several courses, they were all teeny portions. Yet, we can go to a cheap restaurant or buffet and gets piles of food for very little.
I could do a lot better in the frugality department, but even I cannot see the reason people pay to be abused like this sometimes.
More often than not, 'cheapest price' rarely produces the best or even an acceptable value. In many cases, the freebies are a compensation for lesser quality, poor location and a host of other things.
By the same token, most high-demand tourist destinations (for example), get a significant premium on almost all products and services... beyond what people would consider paying at home. However, we live in such a destination and 'rising prices lift all boats.' In other words, we pay higher prices as 'locals' than we would pay 'down the road -- somewhere else.'
It's the old, 'whatever the traffic will bear, free enterprise, system'... and the traffic will 'bear' higher prices when there are fewer available alternatives.
My grandfather taught me that you get what you pay for. That used to be true but now it has much more to do with the marketing budget and the strength of the perception of the brand (or experience). Amercians are greatly influenced by what we see the beautiful, rich and popular people doing. If advertising wasn't effective, there would be no Superbowl ads. That's why I like our subscription to Consumer Reports as a resource for big purchases.
For instance, I used to think that Jeep Cherokees and Landrovers were the toughest, longest-lasting vehicle brands. I actually went to look at a used Cherokee and my mechanic said to run....run fast because, at that time, the rugged outer appearance was the only good thing about them. Apparently they broke down often and the repairs were very expensive.
Just because it is expensive doesn't mean that it is valuable. Discerning Value versus Price is a great lesson to teach the kids because they are bombarded with multimedia advertising hours each day.
Did you ever notice that at cheaper hotels, you get free breakfasts, free internet, free parking, and frequently, a free appetizer/cocktail hour? At expensive hotels, you pay the valet, pay to park, pay for wifi, and there is no free food.
Different classes of hotels offer different levels of amenities. If you stay at a business class hotel like a Hampton Inn, you get the free breakfast, free wi-fi, etc., but you usually don't have room service, a full restaurant or concierge amenities as you would at a full-service Hilton. Cheap does not always equal better. Each serves different needs. If I'm traveling for work or just need a place to bunk down for the night, the business-class hotels work just fine. If I am on vacation, I want the additional service and amenities of a full-service hotel or resort. But that is because I find value in those additional amenities and, hence, the cost is justified for me. Maybe for you it would not be - but that's ok. To each their own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
Same goes at more expensive restaurants. I just watched a show on TV where a couple paid $800. for a dinner in Las Vegas, and although there were several courses, they were all teeny portions. Yet, we can go to a cheap restaurant or buffet and gets piles of food for very little.
At many upscale restaurants (especially at higher price points), most patrons are interested in the quality of the food, they are not looking to just load up their plates to the ceiling and stuff their faces. Having eaten some very pricey meals in my time, I can tell you that a $200 per person meal at Craftsteak or Sage (since we are speaking of Vegas restaurants) is light years ahead of anything you will find at a $19.95 buffet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
I could do a lot better in the frugality department, but even I cannot see the reason people pay to be abused like this sometimes.
Whay are they "abused"? If people feel that what they are receiving is worth the price they pay (i.e., if they feel that they received a fair value for their money), then they are not being "abused". Just because you may think there is no value in a given cost for a given service does not mean that others will not find a value in that. Different people value different things differently. No harm in that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinabean
Just because it is expensive doesn't mean that it is valuable.
Very true. And "value" is also somewhat subjective.
I disagree with most of your responses. I was not suggesting that I was comparing the quality of food at a $5.95 buffet to a fine restaurant. Nor was I suggesting a Super 8 was better than the Ritz. I was suggesting that an $800 dinner, including 2 artfully arranged carrots and a square inch of meat, is a rip off, which it is.
I am used to staying in hotels which I guess would be classified as business class. Hotels with big fluffy beds, pristine linens and very good amenities, including the free stuff I mentioned. I do not go to a hotel because I want spa services or a concierge. My point is I did not enjoy the Gaylord, for example, which charged for every little thing, any more than I've enjoyed a Holiday Inn Express with a super bed and a free breakfast, etc.
Different classes of hotels offer different levels of amenities. If you stay at a business class hotel like a Hampton Inn, you get the free breakfast, free wi-fi, etc., but you usually don't have room service, a full restaurant or concierge amenities as you would at a full-service Hilton. Cheap does not always equal better. Each serves different needs. If I'm traveling for work or just need a place to bunk down for the night, the business-class hotels work just fine. If I am on vacation, I want the additional service and amenities of a full-service hotel or resort. But that is because I find value in those additional amenities and, hence, the cost is justified for me. Maybe for you it would not be - but that's ok. To each their own.
At many upscale restaurants (especially at higher price points), most patrons are interested in the quality of the food, they are not looking to just load up their plates to the ceiling and stuff their faces. Having eaten some very pricey meals in my time, I can tell you that a $200 per person meal at Craftsteak or Sage (since we are speaking of Vegas restaurants) is light years ahead of anything you will find at a $19.95 buffet.
Whay are they "abused"? If people feel that what they are receiving is worth the price they pay (i.e., if they feel that they received a fair value for their money), then they are not being "abused". Just because you may think there is no value in a given cost for a given service does not mean that others will not find a value in that. Different people value different things differently. No harm in that.
Very true. And "value" is also somewhat subjective.
And that is quite ok. We have different opinions. No harm, no foul.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
I was suggesting that an $800 dinner, including 2 artfully arranged carrots and a square inch of meat, is a rip off, which it is.
No, it is not a "rip-off". You simply do not see the value in paying such a price for such a meal. Which is fine. But just because you do not feel that the value justifies the cost does not mean that everyone else feels the same way. I am sure there are plenty of people who have had such a meal that do not feel they were ripped-off. Value is subjective, not absolute.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
My point is I did not enjoy the Gaylord, for example, which charged for every little thing, any more than I've enjoyed a Holiday Inn Express with a super bed and a free breakfast, etc.
Yes..."you" did not enjoy it. Others choose to pay for such amenities and do enjoy them. Again - different strokes and all that - your preferences are your own. All good. But just because others choose to pay more for such services does not mean that they are being "abused," (as per your OP).
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
I do not go to a hotel because I want spa services or a concierge.
That's cool. Others do, which is cool too. For me, Holiday Inn Express type hotels work for me when I'm traveling and I just need a place to work and crash. But I (personally) do want amenities such as a spa, concierge service and other perks when we take vacations, as I can only get at full-service hotels and resorts. And I am willing to pay for them because I find these amenities to be of value to me; I do enjoy those types of places over a Holiday Inn Express when on vacation.
My grandfather taught me that you get what you pay for. That used to be true but now it has much more to do with the marketing budget and the strength of the perception of the brand (or experience). Amercians are greatly influenced by what we see the beautiful, rich and popular people doing. If advertising wasn't effective, there would be no Superbowl ads. That's why I like our subscription to Consumer Reports as a resource for big purchases.
"You get what you pay for" is one of the great myths. There is often little relationship between the quality of goods and their prices.
Many years ago, I drew the short straw and had to take a number of European colleagues on a shopping trip through Cleveland. Most of the Europeans would spend a day or two buying tons of consumer goods (clothing, toys, etc.) that they would ship home.
These guys would insist on shopping at the MOST expensive stores in town when they could buy IDENTICAL products at Kohl's or the like for 30% less. They INSISTED that the higher priced goods were better, even though they were identical items from the same brand. My wife a retail buyer at the time showed one of the guys that every feature was identical ... but he insisted that the expensive pair from Dillard's HAD to be better as after all, it was $40 more expensive. I told him using that logic that he should shop in London and pay $150 for the same jeans.
My grandfather taught me that you get what you pay for. That used to be true but now it has much more to do with the marketing budget and the strength of the perception of the brand (or experience). Amercians are greatly influenced by what we see the beautiful, rich and popular people doing. If advertising wasn't effective, there would be no Superbowl ads. That's why I like our subscription to Consumer Reports as a resource for big purchases.
For instance, I used to think that Jeep Cherokees and Landrovers were the toughest, longest-lasting vehicle brands. I actually went to look at a used Cherokee and my mechanic said to run....run fast because, at that time, the rugged outer appearance was the only good thing about them. Apparently they broke down often and the repairs were very expensive.
Just because it is expensive doesn't mean that it is valuable. Discerning Value versus Price is a great lesson to teach the kids because they are bombarded with multimedia advertising hours each day.
Not my kids---we cancelled cable! I'm through paying $150+/month for them to learn to dis us as parents, watch what would be considered porn in "our" day, think foul, vulgar language is acceptable, and think we as parents owe them every piece of crap advertised!
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