I have sent the following to Gatwick Airport 'feedback'.
Dear Sirs
On Sunday 19th. December, due to flight disruptions, I was obliged to stay overnight in the Gatwick area.
I went to the Hotel Booking Bureau in the South Terminal to enquire about options and was told that all hotels in the area were full except the airport Sofitel at £193/night, which to many people is a very large sum of money.
On making my own enquiries it took me less than 5 minutes to find ample accommodation in the area for, had I wanted it, as little as £30.
What this is presumably about is that the accommodation bureau at the airport only promotes hotels that offer commission, and although I understand that commercially this makes sense, it is exploitative and dishonest in the context of an organisation which purports to serve the travelling public, particularly at times when the system, and those obliged to use it, are under severe stress.
I would suggest that either this office is incentivised to offer a more comprehensive service, I can think of many ways of doing this, or made to display a notice advising people that they only deal with certain 'preferred providers' and that other accommodation may be available for those who have the motivation and means to look for it.
Please pass this on to the appropriate entity, and note that I expect a response.
Best regards