Originally Posted by LostInAmerica
I don't travel for business, so I am cost-conscious when I am booking hotels. There was a time when some Hilton properties, mostly Hampton and HGI, were fairly competitive. I was (still am) willing to pay slightly more (~$10) for a Hampton or HGI than for a comparable Choice hotel because of the benefits for getting Gold status and the ability to use Hhonors points for point stretcher awards.
But it looks like my association with Hhonors is ending. For example, I will be in Goodlettsville and White House, Tennessee (just north of Nashville) next week and was looking for lodging. The Hampton rate is $93, while Quality Inn is $59 and Comfort Inn is $63. Sure, Hampton is a little nicer and they have a slightly better breakfast, but nowhere near $30 better! Hey, if they can get that much more and keep their occupancy rate up then good for them.
Because of trips just like this one, it has been almost a year since I last set foot in a Hilton property on a paid stay. And at this rate I don't see that changing any time soon. I guess I will look at spending my remaining points and just move on.
I am not really complaining, just making an observation that Hilton seems to be moving away from even trying to attract the casual leisure traveller. Like me.
Trust me, I feel your pain. We all do around here. I work for the State of California and in Los Angeles county are per diem rate is $110, and in Orange County, a ridiuculously low rate of $84! Try finding a Hilton property in Orange County for $84. We thought for sure that the per diem rates would go up with the new contract but they did not.
My coworkers are all Hilton folks, but we are all singing the same tune. Most of the Hiltons gov't rate (if they even have one) is so far away from our per diem we can't even consider staying. We are thinking that this next fiscal year we may have to start trying other chains. None of us want to, but if you start paying out of your pocket on business travel, you'll be in the red so fast you're head will spin.
Even in Redding and Bakersfield the Hiltons are out of reach for us (again, $84 for these areas). It is getting more and more difficult for a lot of us. San Diego is only $110 also and that is laughable too.
Probably have to start looking at some of the other chains this year....I guess business is really pretty much back to status quo and they don't need to offer those lower rates for government rates. Oh well...it was great while we could do it!
Dawn