SkiAdcock

Each company will negotiate its own restrictions - employees on co biz, personal travel, contractors, etc, just as each hotel chain or - if it's a specific property - might negotiate a corp rate that's good for Mon,Thur, but not Tues/Wed due to its normal volume on those nights. That's all part of the negotiation mix by both sides.

Also, it's probably easier to track if it's a single property or a very specific (smaller) company near that property.

I have a friend who does the negotiating for a major corp & believe me, she is not going through reports of names given the volume of employees & properties those employees are staying at! That's probably easier to do w/ smaller co's. She's looking at totals across the properties & chains.

When I worked for the F50 & F500 co's, sometimes their rate was better. Sometimes I could beat it just by asking for best publicly available rate. One co told me to use the corp rate even if it was higher cuz they had to hit their volume; one said thanks for saving $$ (presumably for that dept head & he probably hoped the overall co hit its volume).

It's up to each individual to figure out their comfort level re: using codes they're not entitled to (presuming they can even find them). No one's going to hel*; no one's going to heaven Sometimes corp or association rates are good deals; sometimes they're not.

Cheers.

grayland

I agree. There is no way that the hotel is going to be able to charge a different room rate after the fact.

SkiAdcock

I'm not sure there are numeric Hilton codes for publicly available rates (like there are codes for PAR w/ Marriott), but I can't believe Marriott is the only chain that might have PAR (publicly available rate) codes for regions of country or world or promo - ie, London area hotels, Northeast hotels, honeymoon package, park 'n' fly package. If anyone knows them for Hilton, please post on this thread. Note that PAR's don't require affiliation w/ corps or assn's, hence the publicly available bit

If anyone has corp codes that they're comfortable w/ sharing, they can post on this thread. If not, they don't need to. Up to the other FTers & their own comfort level whether to use any that are posted or not.

BTW - the haggling thing for rate is a new one on me - wouldn't occur to me to do that & haven't overheard someone else trying it, but could make for an interesting conversation!

Cheers.

BOGO

I have walked into hotels and asked for the price of their cheapest room for the night ...even though I already had a reservation. If the rate was cheaper than my reserved rate, I tell them that I already have a reservation, but that I would like my rate adjusted. In more than one occasion, I have been able to save a few dollars. It works better when occupancy is low, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

MisterNice

Years ago that would occasionally work. Today most hotels are setting occupancy records and have no reason to quote low last minute rates (they are very aware walk-ins having reservations do what you said). They can do Priceline for any low last minute rates.

MisterNice

cordelli

I've stayed on corporate rates that were considerably less then you could get as the lowest available rate. Those have been specific to one property, and they have asked for proof I was "allowed" to use that rate from the company (in the most recent case, it was as simple as bringing the training notebook back).

I've also stayed on rates that were for private groups without being part of that group, the clown convention in Mystic for example, though it's pretty much up to the desk if they figure you out if they want to allow you that rate or not. In this case, it was the front desk that asked "would you like the clown convention rate?" I said I wasn't there for that and they asked again "Would you like the clown convention rate, half of what you reserved?"

I said OK.

I have also seen rates that were not generally available at first glance, you would have to pull down all rates. I posted about one set of those last summer (I remember because I was moving and staying in hotels a bit as the closing kept getting more and more messed up). One was some stupid rate at the Milford, CT Hampton. It was like $60 for the Visit NYC rate. It didn't include a train pass, the hotel isn't exactly close to the train station, and it's like a 90 minute train ride. Stupid promotion, but it was there, and we took advantage of it several times.

One afternoon, the closing was again put off, we didn't have internet, so we had to call. Call the hotel, they transfered you to the 800 reservations. Ask for a room at the Milford Hampton that night, they quoted like $129. Ask if we could get the $60 Visit NYC rate, they type a couple keys, and go "OK".

I always ask if there is a lower rate available when I check in, sometimes yes, most times no. I also check constantly online should something come up and snag it when it does.

I will not book rates though that I don't have a clue of plausibility being part of that group. Those who know me know that I could possibly pass for the clown rate, but when the Hampton in Chelsea had the Lesbian convention rate on the website as available, even I figured that would be a stretch if they wanted to enforce it.

There are rates out there, just not generally available to find. I believe it's for marketing tracking, so they can see where people are coming from. Check the rest areas as you drive, check the local magazines, you can find them from time to time.

For corporate codes for one property, I just used one of these, but again I was visiting that company, though of course they don't ask that online:

HAMPTON INN
AUSTIN NORTHWEST – ARBORETUM NW
512.349.9898
$84/NIGHT
http://www.hamptoninn.com
Enter Corporate ID# 560074728


HOMEWOOD SUITES
AUSTIN NORTHWEST – ARBORETUM NW
512.349.9966
$109/NIGHT
http://www.homewoodsuites.com
Enter Corporate ID# 560074728


The actual room rates were lower then quoted above, a very good deal for the dates I was there. They did not work for other Austin properties, so I assume they are only set for those properties.

B747-437B

Well, I have no idea how they actually pursue the "offenders" (I have obviously never "offended" myself) but that is what they tell me they do.

TrojanHorse

add me to the list of I find this quite difficult to believe; lets just say the threat of this happening in itself would never be a deterrent to me

troyintn

IT helps the company when others use the corp rate. The company can say they brought in even more traffice to the site and need a bigger discount.

MisterNice

The International Hiltons (except Canada) dont do AARP and AAA discounts but the Conrads often do.

MisterNice

SkiAdcock

Good to know re: Conrads. I noticed in Europe that I couldn't get AAA at Hiltons (Marriott I can get AAA), but I could in Canada. Does Europe have a AAA? I think Canada has their version of our AAA.

And I'm lucky I hadn't started drinking my tea yet when reading cordelli's version of being able to pass for a clown but not a lesbian cuz tea would have been all over my computer monitor

I agree w/ the look everywhere concept & keep checking back. Sorry to use a Marriott example but you'll get the drift (and it's similar kind of to cordelli's visit nyc one).

Headed to LHR for a MR (land Sat/back Sun). Given the exchange rate wanted the cheapest Marriott property I could find. Started plugging in PAR codes (London area, Marriott elite member, weekend, yada yada). Type in PKG (package) - up comes park-n-fly, honeymoon, & crp wkend rate - well the corp weekend rate was 47GBP - bingo. That's the one for me. But which corp? So I call the Plat line & ask - they check their records & say - it doesn't say any corp name - so if you have a biz card you should be fine. Ok, book that for me. When I got the email confirmation it said LPR (which meant local promotion rate). Now, since I was still a bit leery (the Ren LHR is the only hotel that's asked me for my AAA card) of it really working & because I was arriving at 7am (long before cancel time), I decided to keep my AAA res of 55GPB & the the corp weekend rate. That way if I got bounced from that I'd have the AAA as back-up. Got to hotel - passed along the conf # for the CWR - no problem. Cancelled at front desk the AAA rate.

So - my point like cordelli's - is check all avenues. The pain in the butt thing about Hilton (at least online & especially using #s vs letters) is they don't make it easy to find (short of checking magazines, hearing about it from others, etc) even publicly available rates. Again, I cannot believe that Marriott is the only chain that offers PARs. Or if they are we should all switch to Marriott

For those who want to use or feel free to post corp codes do so, & definitely if you have some PARs please post those. I 'think' when you book a ressie & you get the email confirmation it has the actual code vs just written verbiage, but that might have changed in the past year or so. I'm trying to remember from my F50 & F500 corp days.

Given that Hilton's website loads so slowly I do most of my booking via the 800# now - and take up a res agent's time w/ "is AAA available, is there a weekend special, does xxx corp (my client) have a rate w/ you, is there a stand on your head & wiggle your nose, or sorry we wasted your time by not posting your points but we'll make it up to you by offering this great discount special" rate?

I definitely agree w/ cordelli on checking back. Also that if you got a lower rate one time for some special thing (Visit NYC) to ask for it again. I had a similar thing happen (well, wasn't closing on a house) but called & they offered me a much higher rate - when I asked about the special rate I'd stayed at before they said oh sure it's available & booked it - but it wasn't like they offered it up front to me. And like him I go back periodically at hotels I'm booked at to see if the rate has dropped & if so, book the lower rate (don't cancel the first ressie until after the 2nd is booked).

Cheers.

todd-r

More commonly known as the CAA - Canadian Automobile Association

cordelli

Be careful using AAA if you are not a member, last week two Hamptons asked to see the card to get the rate.

SanDiego1K

Conrad Bangkok insists on seeing the AAA card. I purge my wallet before international trips. I have to remember to bring my card if I have booked a AAA rate.

SkiAdcock

Next to gov't rate, AAAcard is the one I know that's semi-regularly asked for proof. I had gotten out of the habit of carrying it because I wasn't asked & then of course I was overseas & asked for it, and then once back in the US so now I just carry it.

Cheers.