Hotels and motels are in hot competition this summer to increase revenues per room. No longer is maximized occupancy the game.
What does this mean for consumers? Many hotels and motels offer as many as 20 to 40 different room rates. AAA and AARP normally bring 10% to 15% reductions, but with artful haggling you can often do much better, says Reg Foucar-Szocki, J.W. Marriott Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at James Madison University. Foucar-Szocki is also the former president of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.
His tips for getting the best deal: call the 800 number if the place you intend to stay is a chain and then check rates online. You'll be surprised at the differences. When you call, ask about availability. If it's not a weekend and there's no car show or convention in town, you'll be better off just showing up at the motel in the late afternoon or early evening. Ask the desk clerk for the best rate. Whatever the rate quoted, ask if there isn't a special rate for veterans, frequent fliers, senior citizens, or any other group you can think of.
This strategy works best between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. If you're on the road and won't reach the motel until after 8, call sometime after 6 p.m. and do your negotiating by phone. If you arrive after 8 and try to bargain then, you'll be out of luck. The manager will figure you're too tired to go elsewhere.
Don't overlook the value of hotel chain's frequent traveler programs. They're free, and contain discounts on rooms and meals and provide points toward free nights. Yet sometimes the frequent traveler rate is not as low as AARP or even AAA. You can get your frequent traveler benefits and the lowest rates, but only if you ask.
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