This week I was in NYC for three nights. The NY State and NYC tax on my hotel room was $120.
Want to stay in the city all weekend, free? Rent an office. Put up a deposit, get a key, enjoy....and late Sat night, phone the landlord and say the place is infested with (name that critter), and that you're going to the health inspector on Monday morning -- oh and the fire inspector too -- and before the dawn on Monday you will get your full deposit back with a smile.
Option two: make yourself a stowaway and on Monday, huffily demand restitution for being locked in. Watch out for security cameras and you'll do fine.
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That's appalling. Are they trying to discourage tourism?
If you want to be a big shot, you've got to throw some money around.