'This is not even funny': Tennessee tourists pay $418 for stay at 5-star hotel. Then they check in

Mon, November 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM

A group of Tennessee tourists on a NASCAR trip pay $418 to book a stay at what they think is a 5-star hotel. When they check in, the accommodations are less than fancy.

TikTok creator @hollerhoneys shared the group's story in a video posted Sep. 16. The video shows a room that looks more akin to a budget motel, and clearly lacks the quality to match the exorbitant price tag.

The group traveled to see the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the famous Bristol Motor Speedway, which is located near the Tennessee-Virginia state line. It was a last-minute trip, and they could not get a refund, so they were effectively stuck.

'This is Our Hotel That Had Great Reviews'

"OK, this is our hotel that had great reviews," one said as she showed the motel room. "It was $418.71. OK, here's our lock. I'm gonna show you the door. It's super safe."

As her friend points down, she notes the massive gap in the door. "Here's the gaps. You know, good airflow is proper," she jokes. "Can you see through? Can you see the lobby? Yep."

Then her friend goes outside, and they "lock" the door, which opens through a non-functional latch. In the comments, the women said the room also had roaches. The group quickly evacuated and received another room with a functioning lock.

Viewers React to the $418 Tennessee Hotel Room

All the jokes were made in the comments, and the women participated in the fun. "Get your money back and leave before y'all are episode #134 of 'Law & Order,'" said one person.

"$418.71 for the month, or?" joked another commenter. To which the women replied, "By the hour."

One woman expressed the thoughts of several others. "This is not even funny," she said. "I would be so mad."

Another person noted their bravery for even putting their things down long enough to shoot a TikTok video. "Don't let this video fool you," they said. "We put the phone down and ran our [expletive] right back to the car."

The NASCAR Effect on Hotel Room Prices

Fortunately, these women travel together and are safe together, seeing it as a funny incident in their NASCAR adventure. But this situation is far more common than it appears.

Hotels around Bristol routinely jack up rates during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (and also the Food City 500) weekends, with $70 motels suddenly charging up to $400 per night. The practice is technically legal under supply-and-demand principles.

However, fans are increasingly vocal about paying hotel prices for poor accommodations, with some even reporting "lost" reservations that reappear at inflated rates. With only 6,000 hotel rooms in the area to serve a 160,000-seat stadium, Bristol has become a poster child for this phenomenon.

The hotels themselves aren't in a hurry to fix their rooms, because they know people will do what these women did, and tough it out. Why update or upgrade even the basics like safety features when people are going to pay for them anyway, and NASCAR is only around two weekends a year?

All Hip Hop reached out to @hollerhoneys for additional information.