Indy hotels gouge Super Bowl fans

By Joel Provano

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hotels in Indianapolis are engaging in some serious price-gouging of fans coming to town for the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

A survey from Cheaphotels.org found that some hotels have raised their rates almost 2,000 percent, with even the cheapest ones charging hundreds of dollars above their normal rates.

Hotels are sold out in downtown Indianapolis near Lucas Oil Stadium, opening the door for those with rooms remaining to jack up their prices, the survey found.

America's Best Value Inn in East Indianapolis, for example, is charging $990 a night for a room that normally goes for $66, a 1,400 percent increase.

And that's not the worst of it.

The Knights Inn Indianapolis is charging $725 for a $39 room, an increase of 1,758 percent.

Rates go down, of course, for hotels farther out from town.

In Greenwood,  about 13 miles from downtown Indianapolis, a two-star hotel room can be had for $400, a mere 700 percent increase over regular rates.