I'm not going to stay at the conference hotel anyway, in my case, but out of idle curiosity, I checked to see what the "regular" rate is without the conference code.

In this case (for a German IHG property, rather not say which one), the conference rate is 165 Euros for a single-occupancy room, but about 159 Euros for a regular flexible rate. If you tack on extra "cheaper" weekend days, then you are still charged at the full conference rate if you use it, but it's only 79 Euros (flexible rate) directly.

For the double-occupancy rate, the spread is even worse.

Has anyone seen this? Does the hotel just hope no one will notice?