Originally Posted by
Lefleur
his recently came up in a conversation I had with a colleague who works elsewhere -- she found an amazing rate at a Ritz Carlton that was like $150/night, while the nearby CY-type hotels were $225+. Got chewed out by her budget people because it "looked bad" that she stayed at a Ritz, even though the cost was less than other non-FS hotels nearby.
I had this happen over the summer, too, in Phoenix. The RC was less than the CY or SHS, but I made reservations at both and called my boss and asked his advice. The FS was the same price as the RC. Would it look bad if I stayed at an RC? He basically laughed at me and told me I'd be nuts not to stay at the RC. Still, in the comments field on my expense report, I noted it was the least expensive option closest to the customer.
At my previous company, it was often repeated that the big boss stayed at CYs, so there was no need for us to stay at better hotels. It wasn't said that he stayed at Hamptons or Holiday Inns, it was CYs. My present company often has better negotiated rates at FS properties than at CYs.