I have made reservations...

[Bill]

for my trip to Fresno this Thursday. I got a good rate and I hope they have free internet! I forgot to see if they did when I made the reservation. I am saving some money by staying further from the school. I am hoping to pick up my gown and tam this Friday while in Fresno. I am getting anxious to get things all taken care of and be over with it! Long haul...although worth it!

We have the motel reserved in Fresno for the next Thursday as well. We are going to stay closer to the facility where the graduation ceremonies are taking place.

[Shirley]

Trevor as you know just got a job at a hotel and said rooms are more negotiable than new cars... if you don't walk away at least twice, you could have done better he tells his friends now...even w/phone reservations... you can get great rates if you deal a little ... just fyi.

He'll sell a room for $139, then sell the same type room for $79 20 min later... all depending on what the customer is willing to settle for when the walk in.

~ Shirley ;)

[Sue]

Have a good trip Bill:dance:
Shirley, my Dad always asks for discount at hotels, I said" you can't do that it's embarrassing":o but I tried it and it works:funny:

[Shirley]

Trevor now laughs almost scornfully at those who don't! He said one lady came in DEMANDING she get the 99.99 rate she was promised in an ad. "Ok lady". She kept insisting she get that rate. Trevor hadn't even said anything to her yet. He was trying to figure a way to shut her up long enough to tell her the going rate that night on that room was only 79.99. He finally said, "Look, how about since you're so worried about the rate, I give it to you for 89.99?" She shut up and grinned ear to ear he said. And, the manager was happy. It's all a big game.

Now, if she'd come in yacking on a cell phone, thrown a credit card down, and asked for a room and said nothing about price, it would have been 129.99. No kidding.
:rolleyes: If she'd bargained and claimed corp. rate or military, etc, it could have been even less than 79.99. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[amazing greys]

Bill, that is so wonderful to hear things are really wrapping up and soon you'll be a graduate :school:



Shirley, I DID NOT know hotel rooms were that negotiable!! I thought I was getting a deal w/the internet rates after I called and they were higher on the phone! I could've saved some $$ lol, now ya tell me :p Well, how about on special occasions like an event happening, do they adjust rates still? Or is it when there's a demand they don';t budge? Thanks for that info, lol. :scratchch

[Shirley]

Trevor told me they are very negotiable, especially after 3:00 p.m. and later, and even via phone reservations in advance.

Tell them, Oh, OK, just checking prices, I might call you back. Oh, I work for the gov't. after you hear a rate. What are your gov't rates? (or corp rates or mil rates) they are ALWAYS lower.

Also: during an event, they are always higher. if they can book solid, they sell as high as they can, competitive to the other hotels. It's a game with the other hotels and the size of the crowd coming to the event.

If there's no event, late at night, they'll all but give a room away.

Get this: they have regular customers whom they take cash from and then call the room "broken" i.e. unrentable. Who are these customers? abused women. I think this is very nice. So does Trevor. He's huge on victims of abuse... would love to use these men as his targets instead of paper targets. He doesn't hunt; he target shoots. There are a few women in the area who show up, don't abuse the charity, and pay $20-30 whatever, get the room for the night or two, and leave. It's not recorded as rented. That's nice, I think. They are safe, basic housekeeping is paid, no profit, no loss.

[Jean]

Bill, I am glad to know you are have your stay lined up.

Yes, Shirley is correct, there is a broad margin for room rates. It first depends on the amount of empty rooms you have available, what the market calls for, what kind of a customer you are perceived to be. In other words, if you appear not to be a risk of theft or damage to the property you can usually be allowed a good discount. This is often done over the counter when you arrive especially if there are not several people lined up to check in and over hear your rate quote. A manager or innkeeper always keeps in mind every room not rented each night, is a lost revenue that the lodging facility can never make up. In this industry there is rule of the thumb guide the motels/hotels go by.

(1) Rack rate - which is top dollar and most common rate quoted

(2) Discounted rate - a rate - management has set - to allows clerk to negotiate

(3) Corporate rate - many times you can get this with your company business card
(or) advance reservations called in by your company

(4) Group rate - discounted rate if you are part of a group that is staying

(5) Senior rate - a senior citizen discount

Many times a weekend package is offered if the property is highly corporate through the week. This can go either way, If it is naturally busy on weekends you may find better week day rates.

[Bill]

Good information to know. Thanks Jean!

[Jean]

Get this: they have regular customers whom they take cash from and then call the room "broken" i.e. unrentable. Who are these customers? abused women. I think this is very nice. So does Trevor. He's huge on victims of abuse... would love to use these men as his targets instead of paper targets. He doesn't hunt; he target shoots. There are a few women in the area who show up, don't abuse the charity, and pay $20-30 whatever, get the room for the night or two, and leave. It's not recorded as rented. That's nice, I think. They are safe, basic housekeeping is paid, no profit, no loss.

This is a good deed for sure. It is something discretionary to the property owner or manger. The corporation I worked for would allow an emergency discounted rate ( but never one off the books) cash or not. It was our company policy to comply with that of the corporate franchise we were operating under to make sure our proper tax status was included in the bill even if it meant not charging 30.00 for a 100.00 + room. These rooms were usually a room that was out of order if electronic key was not opening properly and a supervisor,manager or an authorized employee that could sign out the master key could open the door as needed.

[Jean]

Bill, if for some reason they do not offer internet service in the rooms some of the smaller properties offer access in a small meeting room, if vacant. It is something to keep in mind when you travel.

[harleybaby]

Bill I am soooooooo excited for you!!!!!!! You should be so proud of yourself and I hope you have a great time on your trip!!!!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!:beerchug:

[Bill]

Thanks Leah!

I love your new avatar!

[harleybaby]

Thanks! I love it too! Didn't Shirley do a wonderful job!:D

[Bill]

Yes, Shirley sure did!