CBC headlines, “Slopes are empty, Whistler Mayor tells skiers.” Mayor Melamed says an Olympic chill has descended, emptying the slopes.

Apparently not all those in the hospitality industry have noticed a paucity of visitors. A quick Internet search produced this result for a one week hotel stay in the lower mainland.

Happy Day Inn (Burnaby) offers a seven night stay for $5,367 through hotels.ca. Mind you, if one were to believe customer reviews at tripadvisor.com, this might not be the place to spend $766 a night for one double bed. At least, not without careful consideration. A sample:

• “Warning, full of bed bugs.”

• “Stay away. I woke up with a severe skin rash.

• “The passage is smelly and the rooms are NOT clean.”

• “Lousy service, place looked run downed and scary. Didn’t feel safe at all.”

• “I would not recommend it even to a homeless person.”

• “Avoid if you can.”

The good news (perhaps) is that continental breakfast is included. Way to add value! That will keep people coming back.

Remember how the HST proponents tell us that business cost inputs determine prices? You know, if costs go down, prices will too. That’s the pass-through effect. Don’t hold your breath for it though.