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2009 could not bring any hope to the hotel industry as January 2009 experienced a mere 45.9% occupancy rate. It is a drop of 5.6% compared to January, 2008.
The figures revealed by Smith Travel Research also stated that the hotspots like Florida and Hawaii experienced a lull in the month of February.
Though it is disappointing for the hotel industry but it could be the best time for tourists. The hotel industry is following the trend of lowering its rates to counter the low demand. So, make hay while the sun shines.
Other things can help you save even more. As Jonathan Spitz, Vice President of Business Development at Travelscream suggests pleasure travelers to do the bookings during off-peak times in popular business destinations.
You can book between Friday and Monday in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Paris, and London to get discounts from the hotels because during weekends most suites are cleared out. However, it is just the opposite in case of leisure destinations like Caribbean and Hawaii.
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These places are less costly during mid-week. The bottom line is ‘try to avoid the rush.’ A small local festival, convention, or seasonal event may well make you dig deeper into your pocket.
Evaluate the options before you finally set out. There is no big, fat rule book to teach you whether a direct deal with the hotel will prove to be lucrative or the deal with travel agency.
Keep your eyes and ears open. Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WeJustGotBack.com reaffirms that it is a matter of few minutes to scan through the major booking sites and know their offers. Then a comparative study of the travel agency rates with hotel's published rate will make it clear for you.
Booking early can also give you good returns. In fact, there is no loss in early bookings with the hotels as the hotels allow you to cancel even before 24 hours. If you see the hotel is offering further discounts, then you can cancel the previous booking and book at the current rate without any penalty.
It is always better to negotiate the rates with the hotel directly.
Your research will help you the most during bargaining. When you are said about the rates first time, inquire further whether they can offer any better rates. If you are told that, no better rates are available contrary to what you have seen in the website; then let the hotel authorities know that you have seen other rates in the website.
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On the other hand, you may get a pleasant reply, which may be as low as $40 lesser than the quoted rate. This is the benefit of the homework you do. Derek Gale, Senior Editor at Hotels Magazine says that negotiating on the basis of other hotel rates for similar facilities may also do the trick for you. It may get you a similar deal or a better one.
Study other fees minutely while booking. If you are on a business visit to a resort and is not expected to come out of the business centre much to enjoy the facilities of the resort then you can claim a waiver for your Resort fees. Also, non-justifiable charges like parking fees in a resort can be waived.
If it was for a city hotel, then the fee would have been justified but parking fees for a resort, which has ample spaces, is not at all justified. We often tend to resolve any dispute during check out. It's not the right time. If you are having problems with something then try to resolve it then and there without waiting for the check out.
However, if you face any such difficulty during check out, try to talk to the manager in duty. It is always better to talk to the manager rather than talking to the first person behind the desk.
Source: Hotel & Resort Insider
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