BigE

I am very sympathetic to this point of view. It seems especially silly for people who don't have status and therefore probably don't even get free internet or breakfast. I do understand that some couples are not price sensitive and/or have just a few vacation days per years and find it convenient and comforting to stick with the brands they know. And, sure, you do get a little extra at these hotels, like a guy in smart clothes to open the front door for you, a beautiful lobby, better quality soap/shampoo, better location, more consistency, etc. But that extra $60+ could instead have received a combination of several more valuable (from my perspective) things such as tours, gourmet meals, massage, clothes, movies etc....or they could have used the savings to extend their stay by a week.

I have often paid $100+/night in Thailand, but it's usually only when I'm getting free breakfast + internet + lounge access + room upgrade (due to status) and working promotions or trying to retain status. I'm actually paying much less than $100, at least in my own (possibly skewed) accounting.