The June issue of Consumer Reports magazine has the results of a survey of hotel guests. They surveyed 27,506 subscribers who spent a collective 124,000 nights at 48 chains from Jan 2008 to April 2009. 

ConsumerReports Hotel Survey

The survey lists the best hotel chains in five different categories, and also offers useful hotel booking tips to help you save money and find decent but cheap hotels.

Out of the 48 chains in five categories (Fanciest, Luxury, Upscale, Moderate and Budget), the following were listed as the best – The Ritz-Carlton, Homewood Suites, Renaissance, Drury Inn & Suites, and Microtel Inn & Suites.

And here’s the highlights of the hotel booking tips offered by survey respondents:-

Don’t forget to haggle - Turns out most people don’t haggle (only 35% tried to talk their way into a better deal), but out of those who did haggle, 80% managed to get a lower rate or a room upgrade.

Suites - All-suite hotels offer suites at prices comparable to regular rooms at other hotels.

Booking method - Do you wonder which is the best way to book a hotel? Should you call the hotel, book through the hotel’s website, through an online travel agency, or just walk-in?

For starters, survey respondents say the method of booking does not affect how satisfied you’ll end up with your stay and the deal. You should also know, though, that respondents who walked into a hotel without an advance reservation paid $20 less per night on average than those who had reservations. 

Respondents also cited social networking sites twitter and facebook as good places to get lower rates not available elsewhere. 

The best way and most sure-fire way to get lower rates, said respondents, is through Priceline or Hotwire. While survey respondents who booked via these sites paid an average daily rate of $80, those who phoned the hotel or booked online by other means paid $120 for a comparable room.

Full survey results here – ConsumerReports.org

Related posts:-
How To Name Your Own Price for Hotels on Priceline
Tips for Cheaper Hotel Stays from Budget Travel Magazine
Sleuthing Out Desired Hotels on Priceline and Hotwire

My bed at the W Westwood in Los Angeles, CA

I don’t travel well, especially when it comes to getting to sleep in a strange bed.  Besides my inherent fear that someone will break into my room, there’s always the lovely sounds of hotel neighbours to rouse me before I actually get to sleep.

Having just returned from the hip and happening W Westwood in Los Angeles, (where I must admit I felt 100 years old just like last time, more on that later), the first article I wanted to write was this one.  You know, for next time.

So, if you’re a restless, weary traveler, consider the following:

1 ) When checking in or booking the room, ask to be placed at least 2 floors away from the hotel’s hot spot.  In the case of the W, make it 6 or more.  I was on the 4th floor and heard BOOM BOOM BOOM until 1 a.m.  Not ideal when I had to be up at 6.

2 ) Also request your room not be near the ice machines or the elevators.  Even if the mechanics of these areas are quiet, there will be the human element pouring off the lift or digging in the ice machine for just one. more. drink.

3 ) Unplug your phone or ask the hotel to put your phone on Do Not Disturb mode if possible.  No need for drunk dialers to wake you if you’ve already managed to crash.

4 ) Double check your alarm clock for obvious reasons.  You don’t want to be up at 4 a.m. unless it’s your flight you’re looking to catch.

5 ) Use ear plugs, if you’re so inclined.

6 ) If you’re the type to get up in the night to use the washroom or get a drink of water, make sure your foot path is clear and save yourself the trouble of getting up for water by leaving a glass of water at your bedside.

7 ) Close your curtains before bed.

8 ) If your neighbours are particularly rowdy, you could try calling the front desk but if that fails, don’t be afraid to pack it in and go to the front desk for a new room.  Personally I don’t mind the sound of happy party people.  For some reason I feel safer if I know there are people around.

9 ) If you’re going to watch television to fall asleep, set the timer for sleep mode.  That way you don’t wake up to the Slapchop dude screaming into your dreams.

10 ) If you don’t want hotel staff to wake you up in the morning, be sure to use your Do Not Disturb sign.

Personally I find having a couple of drinks at dinner gets me lubricated enough to slip into dreamland a little easier.  Hopefully sleep finds you at your destination!

Photo Credit: Karen Bodkin

Swine Flu, regular influenza, colds, sinus infections, and more lurk everywhere the public is.  Here are a few tips to keep you healthy while traveling and staying in hotels.  Even the swankiest hotels have germs lurking all over.

The Obvious:

1 ) Wash your hands.  If you aren’t washing your hands before eating, and every time you return from being in public, than you already put yourself at risk for contracting and spreading germs.  My 5 and 10 year old know to wash their hands as soon as we return from the supermarket, the shops or school and I don’t even have to prompt them anymore.  I can’t remember the last time either one of them had a cold.

2 ) Get enough sleep.  It’s sometimes difficult to get enough sleep when you’re flying at odd times or partying it up at a resort.  Try to grab a nap when you can and say no to ‘just one more drink’ at the pool bar.

3 ) Drink enough fluids.  It’s very easy when you’re busy running through an airport or vacationing to become dehydrated.  Try to get your water in where you can.

4 ) Try to get a workout or a walk in every day or every other day that you’re gone.  It will reduce stiffness from traveling, and make you feel better.

5 ) Wear flip-flops in your hotel room, including the shower.  Who knows when the carpet was last cleaned?  Avoid plantar warts and fungus by keeping your feet safe.

The Not-So-Obvious But You’ll Probably Think I’ve Lost My Mind:

6 ) Don’t use the hotel’s hot tub.  Hot tub’s often carry bacteria that cause the skin rash folliculitis.  Not afraid of a pesky skin rash?  Okay, how do you feel about breathing in the bacteria-filled air and developing pneumonia or bronchitis?  How about a UTI?  It’s more common than you think.

7 ) Use your flip flops in the pool.  (See #5)

8 ) Lose the coverlet – put it in the corner.  They are washed about every 6 months, even in the 4 star hotels.  If you are cold, ask for another blanket.  Also, check your bed for bed bugs.  Wear socks, long pants and long sleeved shirts to bed to have minimal contact with the bed.  Bring your own sheets and pillow if you’re able. Do not eat in your bed.

9 ) Never EVER use the glasses provided in the hotel room, even if they are wrapped in paper.  Studies have shown staff cleaning and drying the glasses in the bathroom sink, without soap and with your dirty towel.  The towel you use to dry your body with. Pack a few paper cups to use while you’re staying.  Lastly, skip the ice machine.  They are teeming with germs, and often overlooked in the cleaning process.

10 ) Bring and use sanitizing wipes to wipe down light switches, doorknobs and the remote before you use them.

Photo Credit: Frugal Law Student

Dealing with Hotel Overbooking. Kind of.

guest post by Sherry Gray

You plan and save for your perfect vacation, pack, get on a plane and arrive at your destination…only to find there’s no room at the inn. The hotel room you booked months in advance is not waiting for you and now you’re in a strange city with your luggage at your feet and nowhere for your family to sleep. Sounds like a nightmare…and it happens more often than you might imagine.

The good news is that the hotel doesn’t want bad press, so the management will do everything it can to help you find a room elsewhere.

The bad news is that elsewhere might not meet your needs or desires. This is especially true if you had not planned to rent a car and no hotels have available rooms within walking distance of your intended destination. If special arrangements have to be made, ask the hotel to pick up the tab. You can also pressure them to upgrade your room for free. Don’t give up, just stand your ground until they cough up a solution. Hey, you never know. Maybe there are no rooms in the entire city, but the presidential suite is available. It could happen.

Hotels overbook because rooms are like a perishable commodity. If the day goes by and the guest doesn’t show, the sale opportunity is lost and they can’t get that revenue back. If they book two guests for the same room and only one shows, they get to keep the no-show reservation fee as a bonus, so they make extra money on that room for the night. If two guests show up for the same room, they still get the room money…and in most cases they just have to make a few phone calls to find a room at another hotel. Most of the time, overbooking is a winning situation for them. Occasionally, problems arise and they wind up paying a little compensation, but most guests who have to be moved are too confused, anxious and angry to press for inconvenience perks, so they break even.

Stuff happens, and in some cases you’ll be bumped from your room no matter what you do. But there are a few things you can do to ensure that you’re not one of the travelers who gets booted.

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