We like hotels––as long as they’re not blocking the scenery

We can’t blame the Westlake Village City Council for smiling over the possibility of a new hotel in Westlake. City governments love hotels and motels because they generate extra revenue through bed taxes.

In simple terms, a special fee is tacked onto the cost of renting a room. The money is then passed to the local municipal government, which can spend the extra bucks wherever they’re needed.

Cities aren’t concerned with the profitability of the local hospitality industry, nor should they be. But it’s no secret that hotels and motels must maintain a certain occupancy rate or they lose money—just like airlines and hospitals need passengers and patients—or they lose money, too.

While we doubt that the local area needs more hotel and motel rooms right now, competition is always healthy. Existing hotels can’t raise their rates too steeply or they’ll lose business to less expensive competitors.

Many consumers will spend more money for nicer accommodations, if they remain within reasonable limits. The exception is someone armed with an expense account; who cares what it costs if the boss or Uncle Sam is picking up the tab?

We hope the council does, however, flatten any proposal that exceeds 50 feet in height. The local area doesn’t need any more "mini skyscrapers" like the Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks.

The mountains and foothills of Conejo Valley-Las Virgenes are too precious to be hidden behind buildings that belong somewhere else.

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