A TikTok traveler who goes by Ken Abroad (@ken_abroad) and documents the prices of his hotel stays is drawing attention after showing viewers a $430 room in Cooperstown, New York. At the time of publication, the video had more than 12,000 views and 650 comments.
In the video, the creator presents his hotel stay as an example of what $400 a night gets you in rural America. He initially tells viewers that the room costs $400, but later checks the price again and discovers that the actual cost is $430.
Ken describes Cooperstown as “a small town called Cooperstown, in New York State.” However, the village is also home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and attracts visitors because of its tourism and location.
@ken_abroad $400 Hotel In Rural USA (Worth It?) #usa #travel #cooperstown
♬ Originalton - Ken Abroad - Ken Abroad
Viewers say Cooperstown’s location explains the hotel’s price
Ken films himself as he checks in to the hotel and shows the property’s exterior, with a lake and a lighthouse visible in the background. As he unlocks the door to his room, he says he checked the price again and found that it was actually $430.
“Not that cheap for being rural America,” he says in the video. “This is like New York City hotel prices here.”
The room shown in the video has two double beds and a fairly spacious shower. Ken also gives viewers a look around the room before questioning the price compared with what he expected to find in a rural area.
Several commenters focused on Cooperstown’s status as a tourist destination, arguing that the village’s location and attractions help explain the higher hotel price.
One TikTok commenter wrote, “You’re not in rural America. You’re in a fancy upstate NY village with the Baseball Hall of Fame, tons of restaurants and stores and lakes. Thus the high price. Head to a nearby town and you’ll see the difference.”
"you are in a tourist trap not rural usa," another commenter wrote.
Another commenter added, "You got scammed. Went to a tiny tourist trap and paid 4x what you should have"
Another commenter questioned the $430 price, writing, “$430???? Nooo they are scamming you. I stayed at a Luxury resort at Disney for less than that. That's insane. It should be about $150 for that motel. FYI that's not considered a view.”
The comments raised a broader question about how hotel prices can vary between small towns that attract tourists and nearby communities that do not have the same attractions.
While Ken presents the room as an example of the cost of staying in rural America, commenters argued that Cooperstown’s tourism industry makes it different from other small towns.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the hotel’s pricing or the claims made in the video. This article is based on content shared on Ken Abroad’s TikTok account, @ken_abroad, and the comments posted in response to the video.
