I always pack my suits in with my trade show booth. I've got a tall narrow box that they hang in (shoes at the bottom). I wedge that onto the pallet upright so when I get to my destination they're as neat and tidy as the moment I pulled them out of my closet.

I've sent stuff directly to hotels as well, which works fine, but you frequently (always for me it seems) will get hotel handling charges tacked on.

It's probably a bit more expensive to ship than lug it along on the plane, but it's REALLY nice to not have to lug stuff around airports. I also, like to time the shipment to arrive the day before I do, so I can track it before I leave and know in advance if my luggage is lost.

Also, FWIW, I believe UPS adds a surcharge for anything not in a carton. I would assume the same applies to FedEx. I would recommend dropping your suitcase in a box, if at all possible. The treatment it gets from UPS/FedEx will make airport baggage handling look like TLC.