Know how hotel's think

Hotel deals just aren't found on the internet. If you work for a certain company you should always ask the particular hotel you are going to stay at if they have a negotiated rate for your company.

Whether OR not you are traveling on business, they won't know and it's not their business anyway. I can't believe that I am telling you all this as I am still working at a hotel, anyway.

If you are going to a rural area they probably won't have a negotiated rate for your company, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't, but it never hurts to ask. Also if you are traveling to "Ten-Buck-Two", you will probably be paying a low rate anyway because of the location so you don't need a company rate.

To give you an Example, my hotel is located in a midsized city so our rate is around $134.00 per night plus tax! Wow, that's high I know, but we have companies like Noland, Swisslog, Ferguson, and Canon that have rates like $85.00, $89.00 and $99.0 per night plus tax, that is a huge difference per night!

If you are thinking, "well those are BIG companies; I don't work for a company like that". Well my retort to that is "no matter dear sir or madam". We have a rate of $99.00 for a small local company called Melani Brothers. So as you can see it is not how big your company is, it is how much business you bring to a particular hotel.

Also if you are an individual that goes to a certain city a lot for business then choose one hotel that you like and stay there every time. If you do this long enough you will notice that these places will start to give you upgrades and little extras and treat you like family. Eventually you may ask them if you can get a lower rate because you stay so frequently. Trust me it works at my hotel it might work at other places too. All you need to do is ask!

Well, I gotta go to work, at a Holiday Inn no less, so I will add a new text module on a related topic later tonight or tomorrow!

Have fun and good deal hunting to everyone, you might even run into me and use some of these tips!

Hello again everyone! I have sitting and thinking at work about what other little tips I can give to you for getting a great hotel deal. Needless to say there is not a shortage of inspirations for me. One little tip I can give is really something you have been raised with, or so I hope anyway, manners.

Say that you are taking a quick weekend trip to see your parents who live six hours away. You stop at a hotel to see if you can get a room, and of course see what the rates are. You go in and ask for the availability and rates. Say there are a ton of rooms at this, what looks to be, nice hotel, but the rate is too high. INSTEAD of saying "oh okay, thanks anyway" and walking out, ask the desk person if there are any other lower rates.

If they say no then that means they don't like business or money. Most places like business and money and they will be quite reasonable about lowering the rate.

Also, if you are nice and you make the desk person like you, then they will be more willing to be nice to you and give you a little extra. Whether that extra is a free breakfast, drink, room upgrade, lower rate or all of them. The 2 main things to remember are that being a kind, caring person using the manners that mamma taught you will go a very, very, very, long way AND just ask, they know what you want but won't give to you until you ask!

If you go to a place demanding things or are rude people are less willing t help you, they will be less flexible on the rate, if they are even flexible at all. I know that when I am working the desk and someone comes in with a bad attitude demanding things I will quote them a high rate and not be flexible at all.

I know it sounds bad but it makes most of those types of people leave. People want to be surrounded by other people who are in a good, positive mood. If someone isn't then I want them to leave because they are bringing a negative vibe to the place and no one wants to be around that negative energy, it sounds hokie but it is the truth.

It is always better to ask for what you want. I know as a desk clerk people want low rates, good amenities, and good service. I can give you what you want but not if you don't ask. Obviously the amenities and service are always going to be given no matter what. The rates and freebies are what I have control over and I can't just give them away willy nilly. They would lose their value if I did. Asking straight up "may I have an upgrade" is easier then beating around the bush. We like it better when you are up front.

So remember make'em like ya and then jut ask.................it's that easy!

Hello, Hello again!

Today I want to let you in on the true value of third party sites, also know as Travel Sites. The first thing you need to know is that a third party site is your Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz and Priceline type sites.

The next you need to know is that any hotel, car rental, airline, etc. are listed on these sites only because they wanted to be listed to sell rooms, its extra advertising, and money. It is a symbiotic relationship, everyone gets something from it. You get a good deal, third parties make a profit and so does the hotel.

Once again I can't believe that I am going to tell anyone this but this is what happens when you go through a third party site. You book on hotwire they charge you, let's say $100.00. This is good because the hotel itself charges $169.00, so you are getting a great deal, this happens every single day and I am not exaggerating.

Anyway, Hotwire then charges you then for the booking, as soon as the get that credit card info you are charged. They have your money, and then they take your reservation and give it to the participating hotel you made you reservation with. Hotwire pays the hotel with a one time use credit card.

Hotwire gets a cheaper rate then what you paid them, so they pay the hotel; let's say $70.00 and they keep the extra $25.00. Hotwire negotiated with that hotel to get that seventy dollar rate, and hey, they have to make a profit so they charge you $100.00. You may be wondering what the advantage is for the hotel for selling the room for $70.00 to Hotwire when they could probably get more by not going with hotwire. Well, hotels are businesses, they like money........a lot. They would rather sell a room for seventy dollars than get zero dollars from not selling it.

ALSO once the reservation is made through the third party site (hotwire.com), the hotel, as soon as they receive that reservation, charges the one time use credit card from hotwire.

Which brings me to my next point, if you need to cancel a reservation you can call the hotel and they WILL cancel it, but will NOT refund your money. If you want a refund then you need to go to hotwire and ask them for it back as they are the ones you booked your reservation through.

That is another benefit for the hotel, let's say you booked that room and the hotel got that seventy dollars from hotwire, the hotel will cancel the reservation for you that way they make more of a profit. They have your money and the empty room that you aren't going to use. If you aren't going to use the room because you cancel, then the hotel will sell it again. They just made a double or triple profit depending on what price they get it for.

PLEASE be careful that you don't fall into this non-cancellation trap. Please see my next text mod for an explanation on this.

4-star hotels at 2 star prices!  Get up to 60% off retail rates at Hotwire!

Continued...................

As my best friend say "let's keep it funky", if you don't know that means let's tell the truth. I just want to keep it as real as I can for you guys out here booking on these third party sites. As I have illustrated above, third party are great places to get great deals.

When you are looking to book a hotel, car rental, whatever the case may be please read the fine print!!!, its fine print for a reason. Also any check boxes that require you to check before you book are a good indication that there is a stipulation that you overlooked. Most places do not cover cancellations unless you pay for some type of travel insurance or something along those lines.

Make sure you read the fine print!!!

Once you give them that credit card info and press confirm that's all she wrote. The most important thing to remember not only with online reservations of any type but for all online purchases, "It's not final until you give them your credit card info".

If they don't have that they can't do anything. I'm not saying try to book without a credit card because that won't work. But don't be afraid to explore a site and make a reservation to see the process and read the fine print. Then when it comes time to really do it you will know what to look for.

Next time I will tell you what too look for when booking low rates directly with the hotel, online or over the phone. I'll tell you why some rates are too good to be true.

Hello again, I need to get this out and off my chest!

Next topic is, as you can see, advance purchase rates.

So you are interested in getting the best rate you can, the very best rate available. Whether you call them directly or book online the outcome of the advance purchase is the same.....you pay then!!

If you call direct it is a little better because they are required to tell you about the stipulations of that rate. If you book the advance purchase you have to pay at the time that you make the reservation, period. You also have to know that 9 times out of 10 there are NO REFUNDS , sure you can cancel the reservation, but that just means you aren't coming to the hotel and won't be using the room. You will not get your money back.

If you book this rate online, please make sure that you read everything, I know for a fact at the Holiday Inn site if you book this advance purchase rate then you have to check theses two boxes at the bottom that say you understand that can't get a refund.

If you book the advance purchase rate and then need to cancel and you want your money back it is pretty tough, even if you are a member of that hotels rewards program. If you call the hotel and ask for your money back they will most likely tell you that you agreed to the terms of the booking, which was no refunds, and then they will make it explicitly clear that you will not get your money back.

You could call the corporate number; all major brand hotels have them, and open a complaint case against the hotel. Here is an important part to remember: Just because you call the corporate number doesn't mean you will get that money back. The corporate office will call the hotel on our behalf and ask for all the details, then they will make a recommendation to the hotel......but that is all it is, a recommendation. Most hotels are independently owned and as long as they are playing by the rules that hotel DO NOT makes the final decision in any case.

The corporate office will inform you of the hotel's decision, which would probably be to not give you a refund. Then they will tell you to call the hotel directly to inquire about a refund, which you have probably already done. I am sure you can see how this is going in a circle and how pointless it is becoming.

So, please, please, please whatever you do pay attention to what you are booking. The hotels make you check those boxes so they have the leverage to say "you checked the boxes that means you agreed to the terms", and they are right you did. So again, make sure you know what to expect with this advance purchase rate.

See you tomorrow....

Hey all!

Sorry I didn't get back to you until now, I am working on another site for travel and it's a bit time consuming so bare with me please. I'm not sure how many of you read this page, but hey, it never hurts to share info.

So the next thing I want to talk about are rewards programs for hotels, airlines, cruise lines, etc. Rewards programs are a great way to get low rates, local extras, and freebies. Some places have fees attaches to the membership rewards programs, and some do not. I prefer the one's that have no fee.

The companies that have these rewards memberships are created for customers so the customer is more likely and willing to return to that brand, for example Holiday Inn. The main key is that they want your business!! If you stay at a Holiday Inn, Staybridge, Intercontinental you can use the priority club rewards card to receive little or big extras.

Depending on the hotel brand you belong to you may receive points, miles, free breakfast, and upgrades. I like to join the rewards programs that are free because I shouldn't have to pay the hotel for being a frequent customer; I already pay for the room.

For the Holiday Inn they always offer points at any location, this means that whatever brand you stay at that is owned by Intercontinental you will get points for qualifying stays. Every hotel under that brand is required to give two local extras to members. The hotel decides what they are but most of the time it is breakfast. I know one location in Newport News, VA that gives a breakfast for each morning and one free drink that is good once during the entire stay.

Some hotels give discounted rates to members of that particular rewards program. The big point is that whether or not you are getting a discounted rate, a free upgrade, free meals, points, any of those things, one way or another you are saving money in the long run.

If you become a loyal customer of one or two particular locations you will probably get a little better treatment than any other member of non-member. At my hotel we tend to give frequent members whatever they want................within reason of course.

Well that covers this days little tid bit of info. If you have any questions please contact me anytime, and I will get back with you asap.

ALSO please pass this site along to anyone you might think is interested, I like to see lots of visitors...........it's good for my ego!

Thanks for visiting, see you in a few days!