Age Discrimination? Pay Your Birth-Year Rate
Canadian reader Lisa Sansom wrote to us about an interesting price promotion at Starwood hotels:
PAY RATES EQUAL TO YOUR BIRTH YEAR
We’re celebrating the year you were born. With this special offer for two or three night stays, you’ll receive rates equal to your birth year!
- First night: full rate
- Second or third night: rates equal to your birth year! (If you were born in 1948, you’ll receive your 2nd and 3rd nights at $48!)
- Rates for second and third night stays will be confirmed at check-in upon presentation of valid ID.
- Valid for arrivals Thursday – Saturday
The promotion is price discrimination based on age, with the assumption that younger guests are willing to pay more than older guests (since the older you are, the better rate you get). Sansom points out that the system is protected from gaming as you have to be over 18 (and born before 1996) to book, which makes $95 the upper rate — unless you were born before 1900, in which case we want to know your secret!
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