jmd001

I frequently -- but far from always -- find the AAA rate to be lower than the Government rate. (Sure wish the Hilton web folks would provide a means for putting my AAA number in my profile. What pain to have to keyboard it in every time. Have suggested it twice; no response.)

For me, it has been very rare to be asked for my Govt ID, but it has happened (maybe 1 in 50 times).

The most recent (and most outrageous) asking was back in February, at the Best Western Concordville (PA) near Philly. They not only wanted to see my ID, they wanted to make of photocopy of it at checkin! I said NO WAY. (I had forgotten my regular ID, and only had an old one which had my SSN on it. Even without the SSN, I don't think I would have let them copy it.) The clerk said OK.

When I got back to the hotel at the end of the first day, there was a message on my phone: Please come to the desk so we can make a copy of your Govt ID. Went back to the desk, re-showed them the ID, and re-told them I was not going to give it to them to copy. The clerk said OK.

And it wasn't like the Govt rate was that spectacular ($75 vs $89 rack). I've had Govt rates that been 50% or less of rack rate (i.e., matching the maximum allowable lodging reimbursement under Federal Per Diem allowances).