Mini Rant Weekend vs Weeknight Pricing
 

I know many properties have much higher rates during the week than weekend due to business travel.

We need to stay at Dulles Airport on Thursday, June 4 for a 6am June 5 flight. We live in Baltimore so staying near the airport is much more convenient than leaving 2:30am from our house.

Anyway, pricing for the Marriott Dulles for Thursday only is $189/night. HOWEVER, if I price Thursday-Saturday, price drops to $71/night. This price drop is true for all of the Marriott Dulles Properties.

I will probably get the room for both nights and just leave Friday w/o checking out.

I share your frustration with this sort of stuff, but I understand what the hotels are up to, and why they do it.

If it were me I'd explore three options....

1.) Call up the hotel and see what, if anything, they'll do for you.....park & ride? or other options.

2.) See what the competition might do for you.

3.) Burn points.

Fairfield is a cat 1 for 7500 points. That is a good idea. I just dont want to pay 20k points for a room that I will get into too late to really enjoy.

I normally don't like burning points for anything other than leisure travel, but occasionally I find myself in a situation where burning a small number of points makes for a "get out of jail free card". The circumstances you described might be one of those. I wouldn't go 20K points, either, but 7.5 is another story.

+1 I do it the same way with SPG and HH, at times if Ill be away for only a few days they dont end charging me for leaving the car on site. well maybe HH will now that Im no longer a Diamond, but still Plat with MR and SPG

the main thing is either get a very cheap rate or a low cat property. It is only for a wake up shower and a few hrs of sleep after all. Especially with a 6am flight no time for a Lounge or breakfast even its apart of the rate

Same situation for me; except at LAX. Not quite the same price differential however I'm doing the two night thing for the 2X night credit anyway and with what I'm going to pay its only a couple bucks more than if I paid for one night.

Ditto on the same night you are traveling in SAN. Two fers are significantly cheaper than the one night.

for the record BWI properties pull the same stunts as IAD properties do

Just call on Saturday to be sure you're checked out.

One more thing to throw into the mix: Bonus Bucks. If you can get your hands on $100 Bonus Bucks for $25 (check Ebay)...

Of course you could probably Priceline it for much cheaper.

The FFI in sterling has availablilty and a shuttle. (7500 pts)...it was just redone.....not much around in the immediate area to eat......

the TPS chantilly (on thunderbolt) also has availabilty for the same points, but no shuttle (although i HAVE been able to get the FFI next door to take me!) That FFI (on Corsair Ct) is nicer than the one above but it's a Cat 2 so it will be 10K.

I would call a couple hotels...maybe they will cut you a break!

The CY in chantilly (across from the 2nd FFI and TPS) also has a shuttle and used to give plats free breakfast and a goodie bag.

The good thing about the last 3 is that there;s a Bob Evans, A Damons and some sort of steak place right there..you could walk.

(I am at an RI just down the street....no shuttle though....)

You're luckier than I. It's been quite a while since I've seen them for $25.

For a one-night airport stay, that would also be my suggestion.

This would be a time I would be all over Priceline/Hotwire.

For example, Hotwire is showing a 4 star - Dulles Airport South for only $58. A 3.5 star is $53 on Hotwire. I assume they can probably be gotten for less on Priceline.

[QUOTE=travelismylife;11803345]
One more thing to throw into the mix: Bonus Bucks. If you can get your hands on $100 Bonus Bucks for $25 (check Ebay)...


Obviously you haven't checked Ebay lately...BB are going for $55.00+ now...

[QUOTE=fredlisancnc;11803703]Yes they are because there are no more PP's :(

The supply of BBs are also down quite a bit from prior years.

I share your frustration about this. Had a similar situation back in April and ended up Pricelining a room - got the 3.5* Sheraton Reston for $45+tax/fees, even though the best rate at the Sheraton website was like $249/night. Advise you to look at booking via Hotwire or Priceline to save some $$$.

We do the same thing quite often (in fact, I am typing this from the CY CLT; we leave for Aruba tomorrow :D ) and it is frustrating - altho understandable from a hotel point of view.

In a situation such as yours, I too would take 2 nights - esp now w/ double stay credit.

And not only are BB's getting scarcer, but usage rules are getting more and more strict :(