MegatopLover

A couple of months ago, FS Chiang Mai was offering fourth consecutive night free. The latest email I had from FS had a variety of promotions, but FS Chiang Mai was offering third night free. Rates seem to have held steady aside from that.

Kagehitokiri

have cent cardholders tried negotiating with MO re offering higher end free nights and/or guaranteed upgrades? there are also some RC, pen, aman where guaranteed upgrades can be pretty valuable, and are perhaps not usually allowed. just a thought.

RichardInSF

I like the way this is going. Be sure to let us know when they reach a promotion where the first consecutive night is free!

jgsx

I haven't tried. I'm looking for ANY deal that beats the Centurion or Virtuoso deal at the George V, which isn't that great to begin with. It's just normal rate but includes breakfast, $100 spa, and upgrade possibility. I'm hoping there will be a free night offer.

wripro

I wouldn't count on a free night offer at the George V.

ABG

Agreed... Discounted transfer rates and confirmed upgrades up to Premier Rooms is all I have seen thus far for 2009.

Summer Season might bring more to the table depending on the North American market.

D1andonlyDman

I think that your perspective certainly is that of someone who has NOT been laid off, or had your company go out of business from under you. If you were unemployed, or facing a substantial likelihood of being unemployed, you might view this from an entirely different perspective.

Marie Antoinette was also unaware of the travails faced by the majority of her citizenry - until she lost nearly a foot of height over it (or over 4 feet of height, depending upon where one measured).

eba205

I think the breakfast component of this deal is more valuable than many people realize at the George V. When my wife and I eat breakfast there, the bill is typically approx $100 to $120 for the two of us. Not a bad perk, IMO.

robyng

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Are there people who are having a bad time of it? Yes. No question about it. Even members of my family. There were times when we didn't have it so easy either - like when my husband and I first got out of school in the early 70's at the start of the '73-74 recession and were earning a grand total of $18,000 between the 2 of us (working more than 50 hours a week each as lawyers).

But for people who haven't been hit - or hit as badly - and - knock wood - we are in this category - this is not the time to put on the proverbial "hairshirt" - because it is "unfashionable" to spend money. Indeed - now is the time when - if you have the money - you should spend it. Whether it goes to your favorite hotel chain - or to a company that does maintenance stuff for you perhaps on a semi-annual basis - and this would be the year you would skip. For example - I usually get the guys who do our tree stuff every other year - and the guys who do our landscape maintenance every other year. This year I am doing both - because both companies are hurting and I don't want to see them laying off more people because they aren't getting business. I am also trying to find more little repair jobs for the fellow who does odd jobs around our house. And patronizing restaurants - hotels and the like. Etc.

I am retired - and live off investments. And when I look at rates of return on investments - it scares me. Just like people are scared of many other things they see in the economy these days. But as long as I haven't had my hands and feet chopped off - in a metaphorical sense - in this economy - I will continue to spend what I usually spend - perhaps a little more - to try to support the economy - and not hide in a hole. How would it help anyone if I said - I am scared and therefore I am cutting back on all discretionary spending this year? No travel for me this year - no garden work - no home repairs.

I don't think this puts me in the category of Marie Antoinette. It is one thing to be oblivious. Quite another to see what is happening - and trying one's best to help. And I am sorry - but the only way I see I can help from my perspective is to continue my normal spending patterns - or up them. To keep the people who I help to be employed stay employed. Even if my knee-jerk reaction would be to cut back - perhaps drastically (I am pretty conservative when it comes to money). Which is the worse sin - spending money one can afford to spend so people can keep jobs - or keeping the money in your pocket and people wind up losing jobs. If you have a better way of aproaching this - I'd be glad to listen. Robyn

jordyn

That's an absurd line of reasoning. If one company fails, it's obviously bad for the company and the employees, but if you said, "Joe's Bagel Company went bankrupt, that's like the Great Depression" it would obviously be a stupid statement.

Obviously, the economy is really messed up right now, and there's a lot of signs that it will end up being the worst recession since the Great Depression, but direct comparisons to the Great Depression (with 25% unemployment, for example) seem pretty strained and the fact that there's a lot of people who haven't suffered just prove the point.

obscure2k

This discussion is not about the Great Depression. It is about "crisis discounts at high end hotels."
Off topic posts will be deleted and please no more references to Marie Antoinette.
Thanks for your cooperation..
Obscure2k
Moderator
Luxury Hotels

jgsx

Yes, I know it's a good perk, but it has been around. I'm hoping there will be ANYTHING special at George V due to the economy. I won't hold my breath though.

RichardInSF

If I click on the "packages" tab on the web page for the Hotel Marie Antoinette in New Orleans, it says to try the "hot rates" page -- only I can't find it.

http://www.stannmarieantoinette.com/index.html

I figure if there were any crisis discounts at this hotel, that's where they'd be located. Oh wait, there weren't supposed to be any more mentions of Marie Antoinette! Never mind.

Ericka

Taga Safaris (custom Africa tour operator) has a web page with discounted itineraries. I saw mention of free transfers, "buy x nights get x nights free", etc. Great operations like Ulusaba, Singita, and Wilderness Safaris all had something.

http://www.tagasafarisafrica.com/afr...i-specials.htm

Kagehitokiri

thanks Ericka ^

ive added it to sticky, along with another someone else mentioned >