Travel Deal of the Day (August 29, 2008)
Most people assume that the only “stays” you can purchase from a hotel are overnight stays. But, most hotels offer a few other types of stays that can be helpful, especially when traveling on business.
The Deal:
Hotels offer a few non-traditional types of stays that can be helpful to know about:
(1) Many hotels allow you to purchase access daily access to the fitness center/spa/other facilities when you are not staying at that hotel. This is especially common at airport hotel locations. This can be very helpful when you either have a long layover or have a redeye/overnight flight – in such cases, you can purchase the daily access so that you can shower and freshen up before a meeting or other activities later in the day. (Do not forget that if you have a hotel room booked for that evening, that hotel will often allow you to use facilities for free even if you arrive at the hotel well before check-in time.)
(2) Many hotels will sell “day rooms," allowing you to stay all day in a hotel room without paying for use of the hotel room overnight. (Day rooms can be very affordable, as the hotel usually can sell you the room for the day and sell that same room to someone else for use overnight.) Again, this is most common at airport hotel locations. This can be very helpful if you have a tremendously long layover or if you arrive early in the morning on a redeye flight and you would like to rest before a late meeting.
How:
Most of the time, you must book these kinds of services directly from the hotel. The hotel website and even the national, toll-free reservations center may not be aware that a hotel offers these kind of services.
When you do call to make a reservation, try to negotiate the price of these services. Most of the time the hotel does not have a set rate for the above types of stays. The hotel may be willing to negotiate as the above types of stays likely will not take away from revenue earned from traditional, overnight stays (in the case of a day room - the hotel can usually still sell that room for overnight use; in the case of a spa pass, the hotel can still provide those same services to overnight guests).
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 28, 2008)
The Hyatt Maui is offering a pretty good deal that includes a room, confirmed upgrade, free night and late checkout (if using an American Express) – and, the rate even applies during a portion of the December holiday season.
The Deal:
Various Maui hotels are running fall specials. One four star hotel, the Hyatt Maui, is running a third night free special that also includes free breakfast and a room upgrade. (A few additional perks including a late checkout apply if using an American Express Card.) The rates vary based on hotel occupancy.
How:
If you are interested in this deal, I would check the Hyatt website via this link. I would also check third-party sites such as Kayak, Expedia and Travelocity. I am noticing that the rates for each night may vary dramatically based on how you book your room.
The Inside Scoop:
The rules for this promotion state that the rate is not valid past December 19 (blacked out for the highest demand dates surrounding Christmas). However, when checking rates, I was able to find this promotion for stays ending as late as December 25, 2008 – so, if you are looking to travel until Christmas Day, this may be an excellent opportunity for you (as many hotels do not offer deals during those dates).
The Hyatt Maui is offering a pretty good deal that includes a room, confirmed upgrade, free night and late checkout (if using an American Express) – and, the rate even applies during a portion of the December holiday season.
The Deal:
Various Maui hotels are running fall specials. One four star hotel, the Hyatt Maui, is running a third night free special that also includes free breakfast and a room upgrade. (A few additional perks including a late checkout apply if using an American Express Card.) The rates vary based on hotel occupancy.
How:
If you are interested in this deal, I would check the Hyatt website via this link. I would also check third-party sites such as Kayak, Expedia and Travelocity. I am noticing that the rates for each night may vary dramatically based on how you book your room.
The Inside Scoop:
The rules for this promotion state that the rate is not valid past December 19 (blacked out for the highest demand dates surrounding Christmas). However, when checking rates, I was able to find this promotion for stays ending as late as December 25, 2008 – so, if you are looking to travel until Christmas Day, this may be an excellent opportunity for you (as many hotels do not offer deals during those dates).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 26, 2008)
One of my pet peeves is a very early check out time imposed by a hotel. Noon is the standard check out time. I have encountered some hotels that impose a 10 a.m. check out time. Other hotels are much more flexible and have an afternoon check out time. The real question for me most times I want to check out late is how do I obtain a late check out. Here are some tips:
(1) My first tip is to always request a late check out in person. I think it is much harder to tell someone no when they are standing right in front of you – it is much easier for a hotel agent to give a “hard line” answer over the phone.
(2) I would generally ask for a little later time then you actually want to depart. The hotel may try to “compromise” with you by offering a time between when you request (likely late in the day) and the stated (earlier) check out time. The compromise time may be closer to the actual time you would like to leave.
(3) Find out how full the hotel is on the date you are departing. If the hotel is sold out, you will likely not be granted a late check out as the hotel must clean all of its rooms and have them ready by the stated check in time. In cases where the hotel is pretty empty, generally you will have a good chance of getting a late check out time from a front desk clerk either the night before check out or the morning of check out.
(4) If the hotel is rather full or you get a negative answer to a late check out request, I would come back – this time, be prepared to give an explanation why a late check out is necessary. Some especially compelling reasons might include the fact that you are celebrating a special occasion or if your baby generally naps late morning or early afternoon. Also, if you are a frequent guest of the hotel or an “elite” guest in their frequent stay program, make sure they know that fact.
(5) If you still have no luck, try to speak with a front desk manager. Generally, if there is some possibility of giving you a late check out, the front desk manager will try to work with you. If their initial answer has been no late check out, try to obtain even an extra hour or two as a compromise. If the hotel could not provide you with a room until after its stated check in time (because of some hotel issue rather than because you just happened to arrive to check in late in the day), let the front desk manager know that fact.
(6) Often very elite guests in a frequent stay club or very high-end credit card users (such as users of the American Express Platinum card) obtain certain perks including late check outs at participating hotels – be sure to check whether such perks apply. In some cases, the late check out perk is guaranteed regardless of hotel availability.
(7) Finally, even if you do not obtain your late check out, be sure to inquire if the hotel has a courtesy room or spa which you can use to change. You may still be able to use the pool or other hotel facilities and change following your usage of these facilities – so, even if you must leave your room, you still will have access to many of the hotel facilities.
One of my pet peeves is a very early check out time imposed by a hotel. Noon is the standard check out time. I have encountered some hotels that impose a 10 a.m. check out time. Other hotels are much more flexible and have an afternoon check out time. The real question for me most times I want to check out late is how do I obtain a late check out. Here are some tips:
(1) My first tip is to always request a late check out in person. I think it is much harder to tell someone no when they are standing right in front of you – it is much easier for a hotel agent to give a “hard line” answer over the phone.
(2) I would generally ask for a little later time then you actually want to depart. The hotel may try to “compromise” with you by offering a time between when you request (likely late in the day) and the stated (earlier) check out time. The compromise time may be closer to the actual time you would like to leave.
(3) Find out how full the hotel is on the date you are departing. If the hotel is sold out, you will likely not be granted a late check out as the hotel must clean all of its rooms and have them ready by the stated check in time. In cases where the hotel is pretty empty, generally you will have a good chance of getting a late check out time from a front desk clerk either the night before check out or the morning of check out.
(4) If the hotel is rather full or you get a negative answer to a late check out request, I would come back – this time, be prepared to give an explanation why a late check out is necessary. Some especially compelling reasons might include the fact that you are celebrating a special occasion or if your baby generally naps late morning or early afternoon. Also, if you are a frequent guest of the hotel or an “elite” guest in their frequent stay program, make sure they know that fact.
(5) If you still have no luck, try to speak with a front desk manager. Generally, if there is some possibility of giving you a late check out, the front desk manager will try to work with you. If their initial answer has been no late check out, try to obtain even an extra hour or two as a compromise. If the hotel could not provide you with a room until after its stated check in time (because of some hotel issue rather than because you just happened to arrive to check in late in the day), let the front desk manager know that fact.
(6) Often very elite guests in a frequent stay club or very high-end credit card users (such as users of the American Express Platinum card) obtain certain perks including late check outs at participating hotels – be sure to check whether such perks apply. In some cases, the late check out perk is guaranteed regardless of hotel availability.
(7) Finally, even if you do not obtain your late check out, be sure to inquire if the hotel has a courtesy room or spa which you can use to change. You may still be able to use the pool or other hotel facilities and change following your usage of these facilities – so, even if you must leave your room, you still will have access to many of the hotel facilities.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 25, 2008)
If you are trying to decrease your travel costs on your next vacation, I have found one way to decrease your costs at least $50-$100/day – change your breakfast.
The Deal:
Hotel breakfasts have become extremely expensive. I have noticed that hotel breakfasts, especially buffets, have become much more expensive. It is not uncommon to spend $30/person plus tax and gratuity on buffet breakfast at a high end hotel. If you are trying to stick to a vacation budget, I would consider skipping the buffet breakfast (and the hotel breakfast restaurant) and just buying something less expensive. I have often found that the best place to buy breakfast is at a supermarket or coffee stand. If you buy a bagel and orange juice at a supermarket for a few dollars (and skip the expensive hotel breakfast), you will often cut your total trip costs and be just as satisfied.
Another thing to note is that sometimes a buffet breakfast is included in your hotel rate – but, whatever the hotel tells you, that breakfast is not “free” – you have paid for the breakfast in your hotel rate. You should inquire if your hotel has rates that do not include breakfast – at some hotels, you are actually paying quite a bit for that “free” breakfast.
If you are trying to decrease your travel costs on your next vacation, I have found one way to decrease your costs at least $50-$100/day – change your breakfast.
The Deal:
Hotel breakfasts have become extremely expensive. I have noticed that hotel breakfasts, especially buffets, have become much more expensive. It is not uncommon to spend $30/person plus tax and gratuity on buffet breakfast at a high end hotel. If you are trying to stick to a vacation budget, I would consider skipping the buffet breakfast (and the hotel breakfast restaurant) and just buying something less expensive. I have often found that the best place to buy breakfast is at a supermarket or coffee stand. If you buy a bagel and orange juice at a supermarket for a few dollars (and skip the expensive hotel breakfast), you will often cut your total trip costs and be just as satisfied.
Another thing to note is that sometimes a buffet breakfast is included in your hotel rate – but, whatever the hotel tells you, that breakfast is not “free” – you have paid for the breakfast in your hotel rate. You should inquire if your hotel has rates that do not include breakfast – at some hotels, you are actually paying quite a bit for that “free” breakfast.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 21, 2008)
If you are looking for a five-star hotel deal in the Caribbean and are an American Bar Association (ABA) member, the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas has an excellent deal.
The Deal:
The Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas is offering an excellent ABA rate for many dates in 2008. The rates seem to vary based on expected demand, but I have seen the rate as low as $179/night (for some dates in October 2008), with higher demand dates as high as $284/night (in December 2008). These rates are excellent – the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas is one of the nicest hotels in the Caribbean, and these rates are as good if not better than any rates you will find at a five-star Caribbean resort. (One additional note – the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas has a hefty $55/night resort fee that must be considered when budgeting for a trip to the hotel.)
How:
Call Ritz Carlton reservations at (800) 542-8680 and ask for the ABA rates.
If you are looking for a five-star hotel deal in the Caribbean and are an American Bar Association (ABA) member, the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas has an excellent deal.
The Deal:
The Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas is offering an excellent ABA rate for many dates in 2008. The rates seem to vary based on expected demand, but I have seen the rate as low as $179/night (for some dates in October 2008), with higher demand dates as high as $284/night (in December 2008). These rates are excellent – the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas is one of the nicest hotels in the Caribbean, and these rates are as good if not better than any rates you will find at a five-star Caribbean resort. (One additional note – the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas has a hefty $55/night resort fee that must be considered when budgeting for a trip to the hotel.)
How:
Call Ritz Carlton reservations at (800) 542-8680 and ask for the ABA rates.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 19, 2008)
The Bellagio is offering a fall sale. Rooms start at $159/night for October 2008; rooms in November 2008 start at $149/night.
The Deal:
Get a room at the five-star Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV starting at $159/night (for September 30, 2008 and various nights in October 2008) or starting at $149/night (for various nights in November 2008). Rates are mostly valid for midweek (Sunday-Thursday) evenings.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Fall Sale.
The Bellagio is offering a fall sale. Rooms start at $159/night for October 2008; rooms in November 2008 start at $149/night.
The Deal:
Get a room at the five-star Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV starting at $159/night (for September 30, 2008 and various nights in October 2008) or starting at $149/night (for various nights in November 2008). Rates are mostly valid for midweek (Sunday-Thursday) evenings.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Fall Sale.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 18, 2008)
With news of a new tropical storm/hurricane (Fay), you should be aware that you likely have the ability to change your travel plans in ways that otherwise would be either costly or impossible if you are traveling to or from an area affected by the current storm.
The Deal:
When there is a large storm such as a hurricane, most travel providers put in place a policy that allows you to change your travel plans without a fee and possibly even receive a full refund. These policies often allow you to cancel free of charge or make arrangements to shift your trip to a later date. Given that it can be costly to change or cancel many airline tickets and/or hotel room reservations, it is advisable to search the website of your travel provider to find out about any policy imposed by that travel provider for a large storm.
Even if the travel provider has not introduced a storm policy, you may still be able to cancel or modify your trip. If an airline has cancelled your flight, the airline will likely allow you to modify or cancel your trip free of charge. Even if the flight has not yet been cancelled, many airlines will be more lenient during a large storm. For your hotel reservation – I would contact the in-house reservations manager – during large storms, a reservations manager will likely waive standard cancellation fees. Of course, each circumstance is different – but it is best to be fully aware of any broad policy imposed by your travel provider and ask questions to verify if your travel provider will work with you if the storm makes taking your trip impossible
With news of a new tropical storm/hurricane (Fay), you should be aware that you likely have the ability to change your travel plans in ways that otherwise would be either costly or impossible if you are traveling to or from an area affected by the current storm.
The Deal:
When there is a large storm such as a hurricane, most travel providers put in place a policy that allows you to change your travel plans without a fee and possibly even receive a full refund. These policies often allow you to cancel free of charge or make arrangements to shift your trip to a later date. Given that it can be costly to change or cancel many airline tickets and/or hotel room reservations, it is advisable to search the website of your travel provider to find out about any policy imposed by that travel provider for a large storm.
Even if the travel provider has not introduced a storm policy, you may still be able to cancel or modify your trip. If an airline has cancelled your flight, the airline will likely allow you to modify or cancel your trip free of charge. Even if the flight has not yet been cancelled, many airlines will be more lenient during a large storm. For your hotel reservation – I would contact the in-house reservations manager – during large storms, a reservations manager will likely waive standard cancellation fees. Of course, each circumstance is different – but it is best to be fully aware of any broad policy imposed by your travel provider and ask questions to verify if your travel provider will work with you if the storm makes taking your trip impossible
Friday, August 08, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 8, 2008)
If you are trying to save money on your next trip, you should be sure to calculate all the hidden costs of renting a car on your next trip.
The Deal:
It can be very convenient to have a rental car when you are on vacation. But the costs of having a rental car can be high, so I advise calculating the costs of having a car to verify if using taxis or public transportation might better fit your budget.
When renting a car, it is easy to forget about all the hidden costs. The first hidden costs (in addition to the per day cost of the car) arise based on the fees/surcharges that may apply for your car rental reservation. Then, you must consider the fees to park your car at your destination, the cost of gas and the cost of insurance. When you compare these costs with the cost of taxing a taxi or using other public transportation alternatives (when available), it can sometimes save you money to avoid renting a rental car.
The key is to be an informed consumer and compute these costs in advance. Investigate the costs and the public transportation alternatives and make an informed decision.
If you are trying to save money on your next trip, you should be sure to calculate all the hidden costs of renting a car on your next trip.
The Deal:
It can be very convenient to have a rental car when you are on vacation. But the costs of having a rental car can be high, so I advise calculating the costs of having a car to verify if using taxis or public transportation might better fit your budget.
When renting a car, it is easy to forget about all the hidden costs. The first hidden costs (in addition to the per day cost of the car) arise based on the fees/surcharges that may apply for your car rental reservation. Then, you must consider the fees to park your car at your destination, the cost of gas and the cost of insurance. When you compare these costs with the cost of taxing a taxi or using other public transportation alternatives (when available), it can sometimes save you money to avoid renting a rental car.
The key is to be an informed consumer and compute these costs in advance. Investigate the costs and the public transportation alternatives and make an informed decision.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 7, 2008)
When was the last time you paid $9 for a motel – there is a promotion starting Friday that can provide such a deal.
The Deal:
Ths budget-oriented Super 8 chain is offering 800 rooms at Super 8 motels for $8.88/night. 800 rooms will be offered every night at 8PM EDT from 8/8/08 to 8/15/08. The promotion requires that you make your reservation at www.super8.com. The rates are non-refundable.
The promotion will likely be very difficult to obtain as there will likely be high demand for such a cheap rate and for such a small set of rooms. My advice is for you to be ready to book at exactly 8PM on each of the nights of the promotion.
There are a variety of rules associated with the promotion - the promotion rules are listed here.
How:
To find out more about the promotion, go to the Super 8 $8.88 Sale.
When was the last time you paid $9 for a motel – there is a promotion starting Friday that can provide such a deal.
The Deal:
Ths budget-oriented Super 8 chain is offering 800 rooms at Super 8 motels for $8.88/night. 800 rooms will be offered every night at 8PM EDT from 8/8/08 to 8/15/08. The promotion requires that you make your reservation at www.super8.com. The rates are non-refundable.
The promotion will likely be very difficult to obtain as there will likely be high demand for such a cheap rate and for such a small set of rooms. My advice is for you to be ready to book at exactly 8PM on each of the nights of the promotion.
There are a variety of rules associated with the promotion - the promotion rules are listed here.
How:
To find out more about the promotion, go to the Super 8 $8.88 Sale.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 6, 2008)
If you are searching for award availability on an airline’s website, you may be frustrated with the limited functionality of airline websites. I have found that the best way to search for frequent flyer seats online is to search "point-to-point."
The Deal:
When searching for frequent flyer award seats on an airline’s website, I highly advocate searching point-to-point. What does this mean? If you are flying from Palm Springs, California to Miami, Florida, your first inclination may be to enter Palm Springs (PSP) as your origin and Miami (MIA) as your destination. When I search online for award seats, I generally first find out all the possible connecting points, and then search point-to-point segments. For instance, if your airline connects through Chicago (ORD), you would search PSP to ORD and do a separate search for ORD to MIA. (You should be sure to check all possible connecting points.) If you had only searched PSP to MIA, you would only find availability for the optimal connections; but by searching point-to-point, you may find other connections that may have award availability (you often have to be quite flexible when trying to use miles, so finding all possible connections, including long connections, is often necessary).
As a caveat to all of this – be sure to remember that sometimes the airline websites are not capable of finding all possible connections. Flights on frequent flyer partners, itineraries involving stopovers and connections that involve multiple or extremely long connections often require a call to an airline agent. Sometimes, calling the airline, paying the fee to book via phone, and working with the agent to find connections that may be difficult or impossible to find online may be the best strategy.
If you are searching for award availability on an airline’s website, you may be frustrated with the limited functionality of airline websites. I have found that the best way to search for frequent flyer seats online is to search "point-to-point."
The Deal:
When searching for frequent flyer award seats on an airline’s website, I highly advocate searching point-to-point. What does this mean? If you are flying from Palm Springs, California to Miami, Florida, your first inclination may be to enter Palm Springs (PSP) as your origin and Miami (MIA) as your destination. When I search online for award seats, I generally first find out all the possible connecting points, and then search point-to-point segments. For instance, if your airline connects through Chicago (ORD), you would search PSP to ORD and do a separate search for ORD to MIA. (You should be sure to check all possible connecting points.) If you had only searched PSP to MIA, you would only find availability for the optimal connections; but by searching point-to-point, you may find other connections that may have award availability (you often have to be quite flexible when trying to use miles, so finding all possible connections, including long connections, is often necessary).
As a caveat to all of this – be sure to remember that sometimes the airline websites are not capable of finding all possible connections. Flights on frequent flyer partners, itineraries involving stopovers and connections that involve multiple or extremely long connections often require a call to an airline agent. Sometimes, calling the airline, paying the fee to book via phone, and working with the agent to find connections that may be difficult or impossible to find online may be the best strategy.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 5, 2008)
Hyatt and American Express are offering a free night deal that also includes an upgrade and free breakfast.
The Deal:
Hyatt is offering a package including a third night free, a room upgrade and free breakfast. The rates are valid at various Hyatt Resorts in the US, Caribbean and Latin America for stays from September 2008 until December 19, 2008. When you pay with an American Express Card, you also receive a late check-out and a welcome amenity.
How:
Go to the Hyatt Deal.
Hyatt and American Express are offering a free night deal that also includes an upgrade and free breakfast.
The Deal:
Hyatt is offering a package including a third night free, a room upgrade and free breakfast. The rates are valid at various Hyatt Resorts in the US, Caribbean and Latin America for stays from September 2008 until December 19, 2008. When you pay with an American Express Card, you also receive a late check-out and a welcome amenity.
How:
Go to the Hyatt Deal.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (August 4, 2008)
Starwood is having a sale at many of its hotels – the sale is advertised to be 50% off; while I find that the “pre-discount” rate is a rack rate that is very high (so 50% off is a bit of an exaggeration of the extent of the sale), the sale rates are somewhat competitive if you can live with the restrictions.
The Deal:
Starwood is having a sale on rooms at hotels in the US, Canada and the Caribbean for stays through the end of September 2008. Rates are non-refundable (no cancellation/no changes) – some of these rates are a good deal and other sale rates are actually higher than other available rates. You should look at other available discounts when deciding whether to book this rate.
How:
Go to the Starwood Summer Sale.
Starwood is having a sale at many of its hotels – the sale is advertised to be 50% off; while I find that the “pre-discount” rate is a rack rate that is very high (so 50% off is a bit of an exaggeration of the extent of the sale), the sale rates are somewhat competitive if you can live with the restrictions.
The Deal:
Starwood is having a sale on rooms at hotels in the US, Canada and the Caribbean for stays through the end of September 2008. Rates are non-refundable (no cancellation/no changes) – some of these rates are a good deal and other sale rates are actually higher than other available rates. You should look at other available discounts when deciding whether to book this rate.
How:
Go to the Starwood Summer Sale.
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