Checked in at the Hilton Harbor Island in San Diego and my rate was much higher than the original reservation. I questioned it and was told the government rate was not available as it was too low. When I asked for a manager, I also pulled out a copy of my reservation and showed it to him, he finally agreed to give me the correct rate. He also stated the government rate was too low and they were losing $$ and were looking at not having that rate anymore. As a Diamond, I'd really hate to leave Hilton, but with this attitude, they are "really" not encouraging me to stay.

That's a new one and in really poor taste. It's certainly up to the property to offer the GOV rate. Many of them don't or they set aside such a small number of rooms that it effectively doesn't exist. Why are they complaining to you? They should be complaining to GSA. Wouldn't we all love that! Sounds like they are hoping to pull a bait and switch and you're supposed to feel so sorry for them that you say "ok".

I don't know what my reaction would have been if after a full day of traveling I was greeted with "we shouldn't have offered you that rate" instead of "welcome to ...."

The closest I've come to your experience was a hotel that raised the rate to the new per diem rate when it increased at the start of the fiscal year. Nevermind that my reservation and travel authorization were at the previous FY rate. I pointed out the rate listed on my printed reservation and they provided a copy of the GSA per diem table from the web. I just didn't bother to continue to argue over this. It was a couple of bucks a day and I figured I could get an amendment through.

Instead I had to spend time explaining that I was entitled to Gold VIP benefits AND just what those were. I suggested that the Internet they used to access to the GSA per diem rates would also provide information on Gold VIP benefits for HHonors members. Some people.

My hometown Hilton once attempted to turn down a Senator for the per diem rate. Luckily it was one of the Senator's staffers checking in before the Senator arrived, and I was able to call the GM and get things straightened out before they pis**d off a sitting Senator, but it goes to show you they'll try the old bait & switch on anyone.

I've never had it happen to me, but I'd definitely call the Diamond folks and let them know what their property is doing...

I have noticed that many fewer hotels are carrying the Govt rate, not just Hilton, but all chains. I was in Eatontown, NJ a couple weeks ago (no local hhonors properties, but there is a Sheraton). Many of the hotels in the area have got together and are refusing to allocate Govt rate ($94) rooms between June and Oct. They are all charging $119, and have forms for Govt employees to send to the GSA or someone to ask them to raise per-diem in the Eatontown area as no rooms are available for $94.

The point of the annecdote is that Govt rate rooms are becoming harder and harder to find. They are rarely available at the LAX HGI or DOubletree for example.

Stayed at the Hilton STL airport two weeks ago. I booked a �government rate with breakfast AND dinner� on the web. At check in the lady at the desk told me �we no longer offer that rate and we don�t give out the dinner chits. We�ll only give you the breakfast chits.� I responded that I booked the rate on their web site and had the printout of my confirmation verifying that B-fast AND dinner were included. She disappeared into a back room for all of 15 seconds and reappeared with my b-fast AND dinner chits. A lame attempt at bait and switch if you ask me, which is illegal in all 50 states.

Bottom line is carry documentaion at all times and call them on their B.S.!

I'm no lawyer and as a UK, none government type kinda none of my business and well outside my sphere of knowledge but is the above a Cartel? Is this allowed? Is it the free market economy in action?
???

It is entirely the hotel�s decision to offer or not to offer a gov rate for any given night. There are dozens of hotels that I�ve stayed at repeatedly on government rates that, at other times, I can�t get a gov rate. It�s a free market and there�s nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is when hotels offer a gov rate or other perks with a gov rate and then complain about it to the traveler, tell them that they�re losing money, or flat out tell them that they can�t give them the rate that they booked. That�s where legal and contractual issues come in, and frankly it�s just plain bad for business.

If the hotel doesn�t want to offer gov rates for a particular night or nights, they don�t have to, so if they don�t like them, just don�t offer them. That way they avoid angering their customers.

I've been staying for months now at a Garden Inn with a gov't rate of $60/night. They're always happy to see me (about 35 nights so far), usually upgrade me to a Jr. Suite, water coupons and so on.

I'm getting 750 MyWay points, but sometimes they comp me b'fast anyhow.

OTOH, when I tried to negotiate at a Fairfield Inn, the guy wouldn't budge a nickel, telling me his best rate (GOV) was already too low. Oh well -- he's already lost about 75 nights from me. The free market at work.

Almost the same happened to me every third time when I was staying in one of Hiltons worst hotels; Hilton Springfield

I booked the GOV rate online but when I checked in I was presented with another rate. First time I didn't see that when checking in, and it was lots of hassels to correct it.

Seems that Hilton Springfield sweeps their bookings on a regular basis, and rebook GOV rates to company rates. My company have a negotiated rate, which of course is higher. How can they even do this, I mean I book in one rate and they decide to switch me over to another? Beats me!

Luckily I'm not going back there anymore!

I have a question, when you noticed the rate change, why didn't you just show your printed confirmation?

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????

No, you are most definitely not alone. The $60 CONUS rate is ridiculous. I stayed recently in St. George, Utah, and managed to get the $60 rate at the Courtyard. But the Hampton Federal Govt rate is $85, and the HGI is $89. Even the Fairfield charges $65.

The rates in many large cities are also unreasonably low. Good luck getting a govt. rate in Downtown Chicago.

I tried to make several random booking on the hhonors website and always come up with the following for Govt rate at the ABQ airport HGI

GOVT WITH BREAKFAST US FED/STATE/MILITARY GOV EMP-I.D. REQ
89.00 USD 1 KING BED Requested non-smoking
89.00 USD 2 QUEEN BEDS Requested non-smoking
105.00 USD 1 KING BED JR SUITE Requested non-smoking
95.00 USD 1 KING BED WHIRLPOOL RM Requested non-smoking
89.00 USD ROOM SELECTED AT CHECK-IN

According to https://secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil...diemrates.html
the per-deim rate for ABQ is $66. So this is $23 over per diem (I know the rate says that you get breakfast, but I get breakfast free as a diamond!)

The first time I didn't notice until check-out. I was in a hurry and told front desk that there were a problem with the bill but they couldn't see my original/correct rate. Strange! Anyhow, I was in a hurry and sent the GM an email instead and he fixed it. The second, third, and fourth time I pulled up my laptop on the front desk and showed them the correct rate. Actually, after second time (I think) the ppl were aware of it and it usually just helped waving with my GOV ID.

Well, I mailed the GM my concern and he just says than no changes can be made or will be made to this, meaning that everyone who checks in to Hilton SPI have to check that the booked GOV rate is correct and not changed to a corporate rate.

I am just so happy that I'm not going back...

Have these rate "revisions" been reported to Hilton Customer Service? I can't believe they don't have the authority to have these properties knock off the bait-and-switching!

I will agree that they often shove the "sign here and initial there" paperwork at you fast, and the rate's not always that easy to spot immediately; if the desk is particularly busy it's tough to stand there and look over the stuff carefully.