Bride-to-be frustrated Foxboro hotel room price tripled after Taylor Swift concert announcement
By Jordyn Jagolinzer, WBZ-TV
FOXBORO - Another bride-to-be is fighting with a local hotel following price increases around Gillette Stadium after Taylor Swift announced her latest tour dates.
Arianna Stevenson is from Haverhill. She's been engaged for 2 years and has been looking forward to her wedding this upcoming spring in Wrentham.
"The hope was to have an amazing weekend, stay at Patriot Place with my family and friends, then have our wedding there," Stevenson told WBZ-TV.
When Taylor Swift announced her 2023 concert tour dates, the Renaissance Hotel in Foxboro told her she'd have to pay a lot more for her block of rooms.
"I have a lot of rooms booked in that room block," she said.
Despite those rooms being booked, they're no longer $250 each. Stevenson told WBZ. "It's going to be $750 for the room, that's before tax, and a $60 valet fee."
Her agreement with the Renaissance did say an event like this would change the terms of the contract. Stevenson said she never expected the price to jump three times what she was supposed to pay.
Attorney Adrian LeCesne told WBZ a Massachusetts law is meant to protect consumers from this type of situation - Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 93A.
"If you triple the price, you should give the person a reasonable amount of time to ready their finances because even a party who wants to comply may not be able to," said LeCesne.
Stevenson said she's out of options at this point.
"No other hotels are allowing booking at all, and every hotel is saying they're sold out," she told WBZ.
She may have to cancel the hotel and her wedding venue if her family can't find anywhere nearby to stay. LeCesne said that could entitle her to damages.
"People who book in advance are trying to get the benefit of the bargain, usually that's a respected element in the contract," said LeCesne. "Here she wants to preserve the price in the agreement and there should be some protection for that."
In a statement to WBZ, a Marriott representative said:
"We take customer concerns very seriously and work directly with our guests in good faith to address any contract issues. We typically do not comment on specific contracts out of respect for guest privacy."
Stevenson said she can't have her wedding at the Marriott property, the Renaissance, if she and her guests will have to pay close to a thousand dollars a night.
