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My wife got this message:

When you signed up for BizRate Shopping Newsletters, you requested
Special Partner Offers. Save everyday and be the first to get the
all new 2005 Entertainment Savings Book! Save up to 50% on dining,
travel, sporting events and more. Order now and get free shipping!
http://www.bizrate.com/mkt.xpml?eml_...&cs_id=9640382

The link worked and does not seem targetted. I found the same offer at http://www.entertainment.com/. My guess is that the other address pays someone -- not me -- a commission.

I used to get an Entertainment book every year in order to get decent hotel rates but I haven't done this for 5+ years now. My impression is that pretty much any room rate I could get through Entertainment, I could get some other way. Am I right?

Note that I rarely, if ever, used the book for restaurant discounts, just hotels.

P.S. The few times I did try to use a coupon and felt the merchant refused it improperly, I contacted the Entertainment company -- and got absolutely no help or support at all.

I've never used it at hotels - I have the same impression as you do - I think I could get as good of a rate with a little searching online.

I've used them at restaurants, mostly, and the occasional retailer, in three cities. Never had a problem with them being accepted.

The Sydney Entertainment book has a coupon for a 25% discount off United economy roundtrip to the USA. So just by using that one coupon I've made back the cost of the book many times over.

I didn't know about the book until the ticketing agent at United told me!

For hotel rates, the books seem to be no better than the web rates found many places. But the rental car coupons usually save me the cost of the book about 5 times over, and the activity coupons for us are very useful.

You are so wrong. First, Marriott has no internet rate, so the Entertainment rate at the many Marriott properties that do participate is a bonus.

In addition, just because a hotel is not so listed therein, does not mean that it has no Entertainment rate -- ask and you will be surprised at the number that do.

If you'd like to disagree, perhaps you could do it in a more courteous manner?

Obviously we have had different experience booking hotels with both the internet and Entertainment book rates. For example, I booked a Marriott "internet only" just yesterday, so they do indeed offer them at some properties. And it was about $50 better than the Entertainment rate for the same room.

If I thought there was an "Entertainment Rate," I'd ask for it when booking a room even if I didn't have a single valid card. When I used to do this, only one hotel in the whole world (the Sheraton in Stockholm) ever demanded the card and stuck with the demand. Fortunately, that was one of the times I had one.

A few others asked at check-in, but I just said, "Oh, I have to get it out of my bag, I'll show it to you later," and that sufficed.

I'm sorry that you felt my response was discourteous as it was not meant that way and that is why I told you that you can obtain Entertainment rates from hotels that are not even listed in the Ent book.

That said, I would love to know what property has a Marriott internet only rate?

Second, many times the Entertainment rate is NOT better than some other rate at the hotelk, such as a package or other rate, but often times, if it is available, it can be.

Still, very interested to learn of the property offering an internet only rate, since Marriott says that one can obtain their rates thru whatever medium one chooses. Your claim seems to run counter to that.

Third, have not seen you on the Marriott board before.

I purchased the Entertainment book back in 2003 and used an OnLine coupon to get premium rooms (the ones with the view) at the Kauai Sands Hotel for $55 - a 50% saving. Even using travelaxe I could only get a $80+tax rate. It required an on-line coupon which, on arrival, I was told was not needed - but at check-out it was demanded by a different agent. Luckily I had stored it in the safe deposit box.

I still subscribe to the on-line service but have not used it again lately.

I bought the Chicago book this year for the first time in maybe a decade. I bought it because of the dozen $5 off $50 coupons for the local grocery store, those went to my parents and made the book worth purchasing. The restaurant listings are brutally bad, but there are some decent fast food and movie coupons.

United has some tiered $25/50/75 off coupons, but I suspect that these are offset by having to pay $5/$10 to get the ticket issued, and also not useful on a web-only rate.

This is a confession :

I find using the Entertainment Book coupons to be very middle class American. I am not saying it is, I am saying that is how I feel and why I don't buy that book. My mother used to have the books and anytime we would go anywhere, she would say, "Hold on, let me see if there is a coupon."

hehehehhe

I don't like the way I feel when I use the coupons either. And many restaurants we enjoy are small, marginal family operations that can ill afford not to have all the business possible -- I always feel guilty using the coupons at such places anyway. So that's why we don't use the book.

Funny how everyone views things differently. I have no problems using a coupon - it seems like a small triumph to me. Saving money here and there allows me to put more in savings, eat out more, live in a nicer house, or whatever. I think I get that from my father, who himself makes a very good living, drives a nice car, eats out a lot, etc., who also uses coupons if he has them. I have gone out with acquaintances who've been embarrassed by me using a coupon, and I just don't understand that. It's not like shout, "I'M USING A COUPON!" I just casually mention it to the waiter/cashier.

Another reason I like the book: it gets me to try restaurants I might not normally go to. I went to one just yesterday and used a coupon, and I enjoyed it so much that I think I'll go back (without a coupon).

Yes, I do consider the statement "You are so wrong." a very offensive way of indicating that your experience is different.

http://www.residenceinnanaheim.com - their web special was the cheapest rate available for the dates I wanted. I comparison shopped via the phone and about 5 major booking sites - that is the limit of what I consider a worthwhile investment of my time.


This is TravelBuzz, what does the Marriott board have to do with an Entertainment Book thread?