Unfortunately, they are here to stay, as it is embedded in all of youth hockey that we must travel for tournaments. And if you want to enter the best tournaments (and not just best talent, best managed as well), these companies know that and profit from it (as they should)

Until parents start refusing these tournaments it will never stop. A lot of problems with youth hockey would be solved if parents changed

Think you hit the nail on the head; until people start pushing back it will definitely remain the reality.

To be clear though, I am not questioning whether the organizers should profit or even how much they profit. That is how capitalism works, and the marketplace does a good job dictating that; everyone will pay more for quality.

What I am questioning is the device that they use to profit instead of a much more straightforward one.

To use some simple math; I have to pay $250/night times 3 nights or $750 all in for next weekend. Let's assume the organizers get 10% from my $750, so they net $75 in grift for the weekend from me. There are 15 players on the team so $75 X 15 = $1,125.

What I am suggesting is that instead of making myself(and most every family going to their tournament) book an extra night for a hotel room that they do not need; just add that theoretical $1,125 to the tournament registration fee.

Participants Benefit: We don't have to book a hotel that we do not need. Myself and every family saves $175($250-$75) and will probably be spent on merch.

Organizers Benefit: They get their $75/family in grift and everyone doesn't feel taken advantage of.

It's a much more high brow way of conducting business; it's even less work for the organizers and "cleaner" from an accounting perspective.   

So did anyone actual stay in a nice hotel in Boston. Ours was a dump- no bar, dirty rooms, no parking, and terrible breakfast. I would not mind the stay to play if they picked nicer hotels!