Rate change during stay
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
Rate change during stay
OK, so I know hotel inventory management is a complex beast, but I've really got to scratch my head at some of the rates they come up with sometimes...
Trying to book a hotel in Germany for 4 nights in a few weeks time. If I look for 4 nights, I get a rate of "101*" Euro per night, where the * tells me that the rate changes during the stay. Looking at the breakdown, it's :
So then I tried to break it up. Trying with the first night only I get the exact same room type for 110 Euro:
So basically if I'm staying for 1 night only they are happy to charge me 110 for that room, but if I'm staying more they up the price for that night to 152 euro - not very customer friendly. If I then try and book the remaining 3 nights as a single stay, the price for them jumps from the 84/night above up to 93/night, giving a total for all 4 nights of 389 Euro - 15 euro less than what I was getting as a single booking.
Next I tried breaking it as 2 nights/2 nights. That gives me an average 104 for the first 2 nights (127 + 81), and 84 for the next 2 nights (84+84) for a total of 376 euro - a further 13 euro saved!
So then I tried 3 nights/1 night. Suddenly I'm down to an average of 75 euro for the first 3 nights (93 + 67 + 67), and back up to 101 for the last night, or a total of 328 euro for the entire stay!
Whilst I have seen this type of behavior before when specific room types weren't available for part of the stay, in this case ALL of the rates were for a "Twin Guest Room"
Trying to book a hotel in Germany for 4 nights in a few weeks time. If I look for 4 nights, I get a rate of "101*" Euro per night, where the * tells me that the rate changes during the stay. Looking at the breakdown, it's :
So then I tried to break it up. Trying with the first night only I get the exact same room type for 110 Euro:
So basically if I'm staying for 1 night only they are happy to charge me 110 for that room, but if I'm staying more they up the price for that night to 152 euro - not very customer friendly. If I then try and book the remaining 3 nights as a single stay, the price for them jumps from the 84/night above up to 93/night, giving a total for all 4 nights of 389 Euro - 15 euro less than what I was getting as a single booking.
Next I tried breaking it as 2 nights/2 nights. That gives me an average 104 for the first 2 nights (127 + 81), and 84 for the next 2 nights (84+84) for a total of 376 euro - a further 13 euro saved!
So then I tried 3 nights/1 night. Suddenly I'm down to an average of 75 euro for the first 3 nights (93 + 67 + 67), and back up to 101 for the last night, or a total of 328 euro for the entire stay!
Whilst I have seen this type of behavior before when specific room types weren't available for part of the stay, in this case ALL of the rates were for a "Twin Guest Room"
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
Interestingly, hotels.com seem to pick up on this. They are showing a rate that is even lower than is available on Hilton's website, but when you look at the cancellation policy it shows :
So they are seemingly making 2 different bookings for you - one for 3 nights, and the second for the last night which is the same mix I found above for the cheapest overall rate.
So they are seemingly making 2 different bookings for you - one for 3 nights, and the second for the last night which is the same mix I found above for the cheapest overall rate.
#5
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
I do this often. I played around two weeks ago for 7 nights at the Hilton Barbados (wonderful resort BTW) and eventually found a way to break it up for the lowest total. Front desk staff there were very familiar with the strategy.
#6
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
With Hilton, I always have to search for the full stay and for individual nights and for different groupings of days. I always manage to get cheaper rates than for the full stay.
With Marriott, their website is very good at giving me the correct price for each night even when I do the booking for the full stay.
Most Hiltons, when I book individual nights in a full stay, they usually have no problem letting me stay in the same room. Some Hiltons, it's automatic, some Hiltons they want me to go to the front desk to redo my key (but I never had to change room).
With Marriott, obviously it's seamless since it's one booking.
With Hilton, if the difference is $10-$20 I usually give in and book the full stay. But many times the difference is way higher.
With Marriott, their website is very good at giving me the correct price for each night even when I do the booking for the full stay.
Most Hiltons, when I book individual nights in a full stay, they usually have no problem letting me stay in the same room. Some Hiltons, it's automatic, some Hiltons they want me to go to the front desk to redo my key (but I never had to change room).
With Marriott, obviously it's seamless since it's one booking.
With Hilton, if the difference is $10-$20 I usually give in and book the full stay. But many times the difference is way higher.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
I'm used to getting different rates when looking for different periods, but I've never that that occur in conjunction with a "rate change during stay". The fact it was charging me $X for the first night, and less for subsequent nights gives the impression that $X is the best rate for that night - not that booking that one night by itself would give an even cheaper rate!
(And again, this was the same room type for the entire stay - obviously things are different when the same room isn't available all the way through)
#8
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Jacksonville, AR
Programs: Hilton - Diamond; SPG/Marriott - Gold
Posts: 245
I note that award stays seem to follow the cash price and I therefore check both individual nights and the whole stay. For example, the Homewood Suites Durango this weekend is 28k points/night for two nights, but 60k if booked separately.
#9
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Delta Tupperware Medallion, National EE
Posts: 158
I am baffled by the pricing on the website. I have been traveling to the SF Bay area all year, and I stay two weeks at a time. If I try to book a 7 night stay and a 6 night stay, the overall cost is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than if I book a 13 might stay. When I ask the hotel staff why this is, they shrug their shoulders and change the subject.
#10
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,484
This has been going on with Hilton for many years. I remember back in 2008 booking multiple reservations for a single hotel in London because of the pricing issues. They know it exists, yet they won't do anything to address it.
Only once did I have an issue with having multiple reservations. Despite calling and emailing ahead, and letting them know when I checked-in, the Hilton Barcelona Diagonal del Mar checked me out and I had to raise a fuss to get back in my room (they hadn't touched anything, the cleaning was a normal service).
The agents at the properties pretend like it is the first time they are dealing with this, yet I've done it at even the same properties a few times.
Only once did I have an issue with having multiple reservations. Despite calling and emailing ahead, and letting them know when I checked-in, the Hilton Barcelona Diagonal del Mar checked me out and I had to raise a fuss to get back in my room (they hadn't touched anything, the cleaning was a normal service).
The agents at the properties pretend like it is the first time they are dealing with this, yet I've done it at even the same properties a few times.
#11
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
With Hilton, I always have to search for the full stay and for individual nights and for different groupings of days. I always manage to get cheaper rates than for the full stay.
Most Hiltons, when I book individual nights in a full stay, they usually have no problem letting me stay in the same room. Some Hiltons, it's automatic, some Hiltons they want me to go to the front desk to redo my key (but I never had to change room).
Most Hiltons, when I book individual nights in a full stay, they usually have no problem letting me stay in the same room. Some Hiltons, it's automatic, some Hiltons they want me to go to the front desk to redo my key (but I never had to change room).
#12
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Yes, I always alert the front desk to the follow-up reservation to make sure I can keep the same room with no hassle. And this has always worked just fine, except once when I tried to pull a fast one: I broke up a three-night stay into two reservations, one day first for a suite with balcony, then the second for two nights in a basic room. When I checked in, I told them I had the second reservation and asked if I could keep the same room. (I'm Diamond so my request could have been seen as a request for an upgrade, and wouldn't be out of line.) Nope. I'd have to pay $100 for each of the two additional nights.
But, one time in Boston, the agent upgraded me to a suite for the first night since he thought that I was staying only one night. That's when I broke the news to him that I had a second reservation for 4 nights. He looked floored but managed to give me the suite for the 5 nights. For free!
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
I've done this a few times - always due to room availability and not to try and force an upgrade for the later nights. In most cases they've been happy to give me the better room for all nights. On one occasion they told me I would have to move due to availability, at which point I asked if I could be downgraded to a standard room for the first night, which they happily did to allow me to stay in the same room.
#14
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769