MARSHALL, Texas - Anyone with access to the internet after storms took out power to much of the city Thursday morning saw information circling about the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Marshall listing rooms for over $1,000 for Friday and Saturday nights.
Though the posts were accurate, with the official IHG hotel website showing prices for a room with Two Queen Beds listed over $1,400 online, hotel manager Casey Holladay said that the listed prices were due to a glitch somewhere in the booking system.
No one was actually charged over $1,000 for a room during the power outages over the weekend, according to Holladay, who added that the hotel was not even aware of the discrepancy until it was all over social media.
In fact, The Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Marshall was without power from Thursday through Sunday evening, with Holladay stating that the first paying guests were booked in hotel rooms for the first time since the storms on Monday.
Hotel staff was busy throughout the weekend though, with the Holiday Inn in Marshall playing host to around 60 linemen from multiple companies in town to restore power locally.
“None of the guests we were serving at the time were paying customers,” Holladay said, stating that all the linemen staying at the hotel are staying free of charge.
She added that the hotel was not sure what caused the glitch at this time, stating that the location in Marshall is currently unable to change the room prices at their location.
“We had to call in to have them corrected, and they were fixed as soon as we were aware of them,” she said.
Holladay added that she was disheartened by the community response to the incident, and that she hoped that the people of Marshall would understand the situation now that the price increase was explained.
“It really has been hard because it feels like we are doing everything that we can here to help the situation,” she said, “I have such an amazing staff who have been working so hard to help get ready for the linemen to use these rooms, and preparing the rooms and beds, all without air conditioning here.”
She added that the community has reported the incident to both the Attorney General as well as the Better Business Bureau who have both contacted the hotel regarding the prices increase.
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