It's as important to comparison shop when you're booking a hotel room as it is when you're buying a new TV.
Hotel-room discounters are one way to save money."In exchange for selling volume, the hotels give us great rates," said Bob Diener, president of Dallas-based Hotel Reservations Network in a telephone interview with the Deseret News.
The company books hotel rooms in 13 U.S. cities as well as in London and in Paris.
Another advantage to using a discounter is that you can check room availability and rates at a number of hotels in a city with one toll-free call.
HRN has changed its focus over the years.
When Diener and his partner David Litman started the company in the early '90s, occupancy rates in the United States averaged 60 percent and hotels were anxious to negotiate with discounters. Today, average occupancy rates are about 70 percent. They hover around 80 percent in New York City and 90 percent in Las Vegas.
"In the past we were only a discounter," Diener said. "What we focus on more now is having availability of rooms during a sold-out period. A traveler trying to get a room in Las Vegas for a sold-out weekend can call every hotel in town and they'll say they're sold out. They can get a room through us."
Discounters may (or may not) give you the lowest available rate.
But they usually give you a good one.
"Our only real competition is the hotel chains themselves. We have to make sure we're better," Diener said. (He's referring to special promotions that you'll find out about only if you call the hotel directly, the subject of last week's column.)
Examples of upcoming HRN rates: on President's Day weekend, HRN has rooms in Orlando at the Best Western Main Gate for $49, at the Howard Johnson Main Gate for $59 and at the Radisson Buena Vista for $89.
Keep in mind a couple of caveats when dealing with discounters.
When you book a hotel room sight unseen, you aren't sure what you're getting. The room may be smaller than you expected, it may be on a noisy street, or the mattress may not be to your liking.
It's also difficult to compare value. Discounter A may give you a lower price on a hotel room in Manhattan, but the room you book through Discounter B at a slightly higher price may be in better location.
Ask about cancellation penalties and payment policies.
Cancellation policies vary widely. They range from 4 p.m. the day of your arrival to 72 hours in advance. Some companies impose fees, others don't.
HRN isn't the only player in the hotel discount game. There are many others. Some, like HRN, offer discounts in more than one city. Others serve only a single city.
Here's a list of multicity discounters. In a future column, we'll list single-city discounters. As always, we suggest you shop around, comparing location, rates - and whether the quoted rate includes local taxes, cancellation policies and fees, before you sign on the dotted line.
The inclusion of a company on this list is not an endorsement.
- Accommodations Express: 1-800-444-7666; (http://www.accommodations
express.com). Offers reduced rates at hotels in Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia (and York, Lancaster County and Bucks County), Washington, D.C., and hotels throughout Missouri, including Branson. Pay the company, which will send you a voucher. The bill will not be charged to your credit card until you check into the hotel. If you cancel at least 72 hours in advance, you pay a $20 fee to Accommodations Express and for-feit one night's room rate and tax to the hotel.
- California Reservations: 1-800-576-0003 (http://www.cal-res.com). Offers reduced rates at hotels in Anaheim, Carmel/ Monterey, Fresno/Central Valley, Los Angeles, Napa and Sonoma valleys, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Yosemite, and, despite the company's name, Portland, Ore.; Reno, Nev.; Seattle, Wash.; and Vancouver, B.C. The company takes your credit card number over the phone to guarantee the room. You pay the hotel when you check out. Cancellation policies range from 24 to 72 hours. The company represents hotels in every price range, from Days Inns to Four Seasons.
- Central Reservation Service (CRS): 1-800-555-7555 (http://www.reservation-services.com): Offers reduced rates in Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York, New Orleans, Orlando and San Francisco. No prepayment required. Pay the hotel. The cancellation policy ranges from 4 p.m. the same day to 72 hours in advance, depending on the hotel. Properties run the gamut on price, from budget to deluxe. Your travel agent may book a room through CRS for you. CRS and the agent split the commission.
- Express Reservations: 1-800-356-1123; (http://www.express-res.com). Offers reduced rates in Los Angeles and New York City. The company uses your credit card number to guarantee the reservation but you pay the hotel when you check out. If you cancel in advance of 24 hours there's no penalty.
- Hotel Reservations Network: Book through a travel agent, call 1-800-964-6835, or consult the Web at (http://www. 180096hotel.com). Offers reduced rates in Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., London and Paris. Prepay the company, which will send you a confirmation letter; $50 cancellation fee.
- Players Express Vacations: 1-800-458-6161. Offers reduced rates in California, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada and Puerta Vallarta. Prepay the company with a credit card. It will then send you an itinerary. Cancel at least two weeks in advance of your arrival. Cancellation fee varies depending on the hotel. The company represents predominantly mid-level hotels but some budget and some luxury, too.
- Quikbook: 1-800-789-9887; (http://www.quikbook.com.). Offers reduced rates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Quikbook takes your credit card number over the phone to guarantee the reservation but you pay at the hotel. The cancellation policy varies according to the hotel, anywhere from the day of arrival to 72 hours in advance. Quik-book represents properties that range from moderate to luxury. No commission to travel agents.
- Room Finders USA: 1-800-473-7829; (http://www.
roomfinders.com). Offers discounts on hotel rooms in 16 major U.S. cities including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Key West, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. By June, the company will represent 111 U.S. cities. Payment method: You guarantee the reservation with your credit card number and pay the hotel. An exception is when the company books blocks of rooms. In that instance, you pay Room Finders. Cancellation policies depend on the individual hotel. Room Finders charges a cancellation fee on prepaid reservations. It also pays a 10 percent travel agent commission.
- RMC Travel: 1-800-245-5738. Serves major cities and resorts in the continental 48 states and Canada. Prepay with a credit card upon confirmation. RMC then sends you a voucher that you present to the hotel. Quoted rates include local taxes. Cancellation fee is $30 for up to 72 hours in advance; $50 if you cancel within 72 hours. No commission to travel agents.