Hilton HHonors - Worlds Most Expensive HGI?????

I think itsa San Mateo CA HGI right now with the Laci P trial upcoming somewhere in San Mateo County. The maximum rate card on the door sez $775/night for 1 or 2 persons, $785 for 3 and add $10 for each additional person. Continental breakfast is $9.95 and $12.95 for the full schmere. Otherwise Golds and Diamonds get the drill of 2 bottles, $5 cert etc.

Its nice but not $775+/night nice.

MisterNice

I just stayed there and noticed that rate card in my room too. It was a junior suite, but ...

Were you also in a suite? I wonder if they have posted those rates in all rooms.

Otherwise, I like the location -- shopping nearby, not just in the middle of a business/industrial park.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 747heavy:
I wonder if they have posted those rates in all rooms.</font>

I believe most states require hoteliers to note the maximum rate charged on those little signs. I generally take a peek just for the heck of it. Never been charged close to that rate, so I figure I'm doing ok. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SEA_Tigger:
I believe most states require hoteliers to note the maximum rate charged on those little signs. I generally take a peek just for the heck of it. Never been charged close to that rate, so I figure I'm doing ok. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

</font>

You are correct. Many states do have that law. I've seen some outragous rates posted on the door, not once was even close to paying that rate.

Like many laws, it was suppose to be made to protect the consumer. The hotel can't under any circumstance charge you more than the rate on the door. Unfortunately the law does not say that these max rates have to be reasonable, so most places make up some ridiculous rate just in case they have a chance to ever charge it.

I always thought that a clever state would tie some kind of hotel tax to those rates posted on the door. For example, the hotel might get charged 1% of the "door rate" per night for every room (occupied or not) in addition to the taxes they already pass onto guests on the bill. If done properly it would work to about the same they pay now in excise or property taxes or whatever but would also provide an incentive to the hotels to make those "door rates" more reasonable.

------------------
CO plat, UA prem; Marriott plat, Hyatt plat, Hilton gold, Starwood gold, Fairmont gold; Avis select, Hertz 5-star

I don't know how far back this particular property goes, but I would venture to say that rack rates like the one you mention are throwbacks to those heady dot-com days of 1999-2000. My colleagues working on the Peninsula and in the South Bay would routinely pay (discounted corporate!) rates between $250-400/night at value-oriented properties like HGIs, Holiday Inn Expresses, Residence Inns, etc.

Of course, if you are expense-reimbursed, keep in mind that $775/night translates into mucho HH points. I'm sure you and the manager can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement.