What I don't get is how GSA can keep the CONUS rate at $60 for lodging.

According to their website...

"GSA establishes the CONUS per diem rates providing the maximum reimbursement allowances up to which federal employees are reimbursed by their agencies for expenses incurred while on official travel. ...

Since FY 05, NSA rates have been based on the Average Daily Rate (ADR). This data is obtained through a GSA contract with a leading provider of lodging industry economic data. The ADR is a widely accepted lodging-industry measure based upon a property's room rental revenue divided by the number of rooms rented as reported by the hotel property to the contractor. This calculation provides us with the average rate that rooms rent in a given area.

For rate setting, GSA is required by law to use only properties that are certified as being "fire safe" and in compliance with the Hotel & Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990. This requires smoke detectors and automatic sprinkler systems in each guest room.

As in FY 06, we still use:

Only "fire safe" properties;
Properties that fall within the mid-price range. This range includes all properties from the lowest to the highest of the mid-price, upper and upper-upscale properties in an area;
Data from the prior 12 month period. For FY 07, this is from April 2005 through March 2006; Business travel week data (Monday through Thursday)...

In FY 07, we have refined our methodology. We now:

Select mid-price properties from zip codes where the majority of federal travelers stay... "

How is it possible that the average rack rate for a MID-RANGE hotel is $60? They must be using HoJo, Red Roof Inn, LaQuinta AND including discount or "best available" and non-refundable rates. Seems like the standard rack rate anywhere I travel is at least $69, if not $99, unless I book way in advance.

Am I alone here????