For Bowling Green hotels, the University’s graduation weekend in May is equivalent to the Super Bowl.

One-hundred percent occupancy is considered a sure thing, and a dramatic rise in room cost is the result. Some lodgings even require visitors to stay a minimum of two nights during the graduation weekend of May 7.

The Hampton Inn, which normally charges $89 for a standard room with a king bed, will require lodgers to stay a minimum of two nights, with the price increased to $159.

At the Best Western Falcon Plaza Motel, graduation weekend rates rise to $93.45 with a minimum of two nights required, while a standard room would usually cost $64.95.

When asked why visitors were required to stay at least two nights, managers of the Best Western Falcon Plaza chose not to comment.

Days Inn rates nearly double as well, jumping to $84 per night from the normal $47 charged on non-event weekends. There is no minimal stay requirement at Days Inn, however.

On average, all but two hotels or motels in Bowling Green double the rate they charge for a standard room during graduation weekend.

The two exceptions are Best Motel, which charges $35 per night, and Holiday Inn Express, found across from Meijer near the I-75 exit.

By holding their rate at $79 per night regardless of high traffic weekends, Holiday Inn Express remains true to the company’s small-town roots, according to General Manager Doug Dietz.

“As a company we try not to gouge the community,” Dietz said. “Our company is based out of Sydney, Ohio, and the owners always have been passionate about not taking advantage of situations.”

For graduating seniors who’d like to help their parents save a buck, hotels in neighboring cities like Maumee, Perrysburg and Holland will not be increasing their rates during BGSU’s graduation weekend.

The Standard Inn and Red Roof Inn of Maumee have a regular rate of $39.95 and $51.95 per night, respectively. Other hotels in the city of Maumee, which is about 16 miles away from Bowling Green, include Days Inn and Comfort Inn, both charging less than $70 per night.

Roughly 12 miles from Bowling Green, Perrysburg hotels like the Best Western Executive Inn and the Red Carpet Inn charge as little as $37 dollars for a standard room, leveling off at about $60.

At Extended Stay America, parents can stay in a room that are larger than the traditional ones found in a hotel. Located in Holland — 22 miles from Bowling Green — ESA rooms include a recliner chair, dining table and fully equipped kitchen.

At $55 per night, the Extended Stay America does not have a minimum night requirement, and neither do any of the Maumee or Perrysburg listings.

As prices increase during high-profile weekends at the University, complaints are sure to follow from parents and students alike. But in an economy that is based on supply and demand, people should not be surprised, said Neil Browne, a professor in the department of economics.

“If you think about it, what would you have them do?” Browne said. “We tell them [businesses] that markets are a good thing, but when the market works people get upset.”

The bigger question of businesses taking advantage of consumers is one that cannot be easily solved, and the final answer will ultimately come from the parents of seniors in need of a hotel room, according to Tom DeWitt, an assistant marketing professor.

“Is the practice of drastically increasing prices during this time period ethical? I’m not sure I can answer that question,” DeWitt said. “Ultimately it is the consumer’s own value equation that determines what is right and wrong.”