Hotel room rates

We all know that airline fare buckets defy most logic. Well, hotels are almost as bad.

I'm in Vancouver for two nights on business. Last week a colleague of mine got the Nokia rate at the Metrotown Hilton we're staying at. $145. The next day, I couldn't get it, because my first night was showing as "sold out". I could still get in under Hilton Diamond Guarantee but at a higher rate of $229.

I tried to figure out why they couldn't give me the second night at the Nokia rate. Well, for the second night the regular Nokia rate is sold out but they could give me the Executive Room Nokia rate $170 but I'd have to move rooms (to a nicer room for the second night, even though I'd be paying almost $60 less!) Luckily by the time I was checking in they came to their senses and realized I was entitled to a free upgrade as Diamond anyway and I got the executive "suite" for both nights.

The annoying thing about the suite is that the wired internet is in the living room and I like to set up my laptop in the bedroom. Luckily my room was almost under the Executive lounge on the floor above and I could leech off of their free wireless. At least the wired internet is free. Nice hotels nickel and diming on internet connections when all the lower end chains offer them for free is annoying as all heck.