I booked a cross-country trip years back. Had to take a layover somewhere, so, why not Vegas? And, why not for 2 nights? So I booked it like 4-5 months in advance, got the cheapest hotel room (Internet rate basic suite, not even in the hotel proper, but, in a secondary building next to the parking lot, for like $60 a night), and forgot about it.
Then a few days before I leave, I go to check the hotel website and see if there's any events or happenings I could check out while I'm there. Nothing. But the rate for my "cheapest room in the hotel" is now about $400. Glad I booked early!
I get there, and it's mobbed. A line of people wrapped around the building. Semi trucks full of equipment outside. I fight through to the check in desk and give them my reservation.
"Oh, there's been a change" the guy says. So many people were looking to pay $400 a night for the basic internet room, they sold out. So they're bumping up my reservation to the king suite in the main hotel (I guess no one wanted to pay like $3k for it) at my original price.
I ask why the madhouse at the hotel.
"You don't know? Howard Stern is broadcasting from the lobby all week."
I turn around, look over the zoo of people, and sure enough there's Howard, Robin, Jackie, and the rest of the whack pack all up on a dais doing the show. I check it out for a bit, then go up to my room. It overlooks the pool, like 2-3 floors up. An hour later, Howard comes out and does a promo photoshoot for the hotel with a dozen girls in bikinis practically in front of my window.
I spent the next two days going downstairs to watch them do the show live, then hang out in the sportsbook with Beetlejuice and High Pitch Eric betting on Mets games with them. For $120, total, for the trip.
That was a nice surprise.
