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Hotel
Occupancy Rates
Chances
are your attempt to find hotels at an inexpensive price will
be somewhat successful. There are a lot of hotel rooms out
there, all fighting for your business.
Ever
since 9/11 the hotel occupancy rate has gone downhill. It used to be that
the best deals came from "consolidated" hotel room allotment (rooms sold at discount rates) that were sold to vacation package companies
such as Funjet, United Vacations, Apple Vacations. This is no
longer the case. Hotels are now selling more rooms to online discounters and at better rates!
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What is a Rack
Rate? (and Why You Should Avoid it!)
Hotel
prices appear to change constantly and it's really annoying when you
find people in your hotel who paid a lower price than you. A good
starting point in your hotel search and negotiations is find out the
rack rate for the nights you want to stay there. The rack rate is the
highest published price that a hotel offers. The price is found in
their brochures and if you walk off the street (or drive off the
highway), that's usually the price the hotel reservation desk will
quote.
 When looking
for discount hotel rooms, the rack rate is your worst enemy! Always
remember that the rack rate is the full price. When you find
discount hotel coupons in magazines or cheaper hotel rates online,
these are based on the rack rate. When you see an ad that says
"50% off hotel rooms" it means 50% off the most expensive
published price. Many hotels will not offer specials, discounts, or
negotiate from any price lower than the rack rate.
When you see
discount specials, they typically offer a similar percentage across
the board. So if you enter a hotel with a 25% off coupon thinking the
price may drop from $100/night to $75/night, don't be surprised to
find that they are already offering the room for $75 and will only
apply your coupon to the rack rate of $100, not the discount rate of
$75.
Book
Hotel Rooms Online: It's Cheaper
Walking
off the street during tourist season typically means your won't find
last minute hotel rooms or they will be more expensive. Since hotels
allot a certain number of rooms to their online sales system, they may
have rooms but are not allowed to sell them to you.
By booking online, you can
make a reservation at a hotel the day before in a city such as Amsterdam
(which is notorious for not having room availability) and actually
find great rates and availability! In some cases you can find a
discount hotel room for a mere $60 per night and
it's a 3 or 4 star!
Keep in mind
that when you are booking a hotel rooms online, you just have to put your credit card number in
but it won't be charged. The reservation system holds the room so upon
arrival and check-in, you can pay using any method you want.
Hotel
rooms enter the online reservation system long before you search for
them. For example, 7 rooms are sold one year in advance to Apple Vacations at the Hilton for $100 and they sell them for
$120 per night, with a rack rate is $160. If you book online the hotels give their own inventory out and sell it for
$100 and it's loaded into a global reservation system so you don't have to shop
around.
It's
unfortunate to hear of people who
can't find a room anywhere in the city they plan to visit. Just go to a internet cafe, log in and use the online allotment of hotels for
sale. It's that easy.
Book
Hotel Rooms with These Tips in Mind
If
you are in the market to book a hotel room, keep these tips in mind.
First, consider the time of year. Summer is high season, as are the
winter holidays. Weekends are mini-peak periods because many people
like to get away on weekend trips.
It helps to
book in advance if you're driving. Hotels on the side of highways fill
up quickly, especially during the summer months when families are on
the road.
You can get
discounts if you buy your
airline tickets and rent your car in one big package deal. Hotels
and travel agents offer packages but some of the best deals will come
from online hotel room vendors.
When you
book a room during an event, expect to pay a higher rate. For example,
Super Bowl hotel rooms will cost more the day of the game and a few
days before and after it. Finally, many hotels charge an additional
fee if you bring a pet.
Types of
Discounted Hotel Rooms
If
you're planning a vacation or business trip, you should be aware of
the different types of hotel rooms. Business people frequently get
discounted rates or accumulate points for staying at certain hotels
repeatedly. Also, companies planning conferences choose hotels with
meeting rooms and banquet rooms. Don't assume that because these
larger hotels are offering group discount hotel room rates and
packages that you are getting the best deal. In many cases, when you
book hotel rooms online, you'll get an even better deal.
On the other
hand, travel vacations can involve a lot more than just the hotel.
Most travelers just want a safe hotel room to keep their belongings
while they tour the city and a place to sleep at night.
Then there
are those looking for more extravagant getaways. Expect to pay premium
prices for hotel rooms with jacuzzis and hot tubs, themed hotel rooms
(yes, many people actually look for hotel room themes and fantasy
hotel rooms!), private pool rooms, party rooms, and so on. This is
especially true in a city like Las Vegas. Las Vegas hotel rooms have
actually gone up in recent years as the demand outstrips supply. Let's
face it, Las Vegas is a hotspot and the nightlife
alone is drawing people by the millions.
Cheap
Hotels Info
If you want more information on hotels and getting great discounts,
contact an experienced travel agent or an online booking agent website
(like Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Last Minute Travel, and so on). These
sites help people find
bargain hotel rooms in San Francisco, Orlando, New York City, Salzburg, Florence, Bermuda, Atlantic City, Reno, Paris, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Niagara, Ireland, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Czech
and many other cities, and beyond!
More
BrianX Travel Articles
How
to buy discount airplane tickets and get cheap flights for any major
airline
Hedonism
2 and 3: reviews of the famous resorts
The
Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam
Review of Royal
Caribbean cruises
The backpacker guide
to partying in Ibiza Spain
Lots of info on traveling
around the world! If you would like to become a writer or review a
vacation destination, contact us!
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