1. "In tough times we have to discount - creatively."
For the hotel industry, 2009 was the worst year since the Great Depression, and last year was only slightly better. At its low, the average daily room rate was $97, down from $107 in 2008, and occupancy rates fell below 55 per cent. "This recession has been so traumatic across the board for all types of hotels," says Robert Mandelbaum, research director at Colliers PKF Hospitality Research. In turn, hotels have slashed staff and cut corners. Michael Aschoff, a retired compliance officer from Tampa, Fla., stays in hotels 30 to 50 nights a year and has noticed they've stopped replacing soap and providing body wash and mouthwash. "They have really cut back on little amenities," he says.
But hotels are holding the line on rates, says Travis Rank, director of worldwide sales at Best Western International. Instead, some hotels offer free parking, gift cards or other perks, like a free extra night for customers who book a certain number of nights in a row. Check hotel websites to find these deals - which are likely to be available until 2012, when the industry is expected to recover.
2. "Book with us to get an upgrade."
When you book your room through a third-party site like Expedia or Travelocity, the hotel typically pays a commission - up to 30 per cent. Through their own sites, hotels will usually match the best rates and may offer specials, and many will let you change your reservation without penalty if you've cut out the middleman.
What's more, book directly with the hotel and your "chances of getting an upgrade are vastly improved," says Rank. Hotels also like to save perks for their loyalty-program members. Chris Jones, the general manager of Hotel Indigo in San Diego, says he gives upgrades to about 35 per cent of customers, with priority going to loyalty-card holders. "The hospitality industry is all about relationships," says Fredrik Korallus, executive vice president for global revenue generation at Carlson Hotels. "If you want something, it never hurts to ask."
3. "We can be sneaky about our best deals."
Since most hotels are franchises, individual owners offer the best deals. They're promoted online, via e-mail newsletters and, more recently, through social networking sites like Facebook and Foursquare. Hotel Indigo had 500 followers on Twitter before it even opened, and Jones says last fall he offered $185 rooms to followers for $99 - and booked 45 rooms in two hours. Robert A. Rauch, a managing partner at a San Diego Hilton, says he offers time-sensitive deals and restaurant or spa specials online. Hotels also offer discounts through partners like Visa or American Express, but since hotels aren't always enthusiastic about those, "sometimes it takes some effort" to find them, says Matthew Stone, a professor of travel and tourism at Prince George's Community College in Washington, D.C.
4. "Your room won't really look like this."
10 things hotels won't tell you
