Five ways to cut the cost of your hotel!

Sir, With respect, I must point out that being a world travler in my job, you could say I know a lot about hotels, on how they operate, and how they con you: I read the article by John Fitzsimons, and thought it was a load of rubbish, as he looks like a Y.M.C.A. merchant to me: You want to save money in a hotel as follows: 1. Make your own tea with your own kettle, always works, get the extra sugar off the maid, and buy your milk from outside. 2. Don't use the mini bar ( If Installed ) costs twice as much to drink the same outside for half of the price. If you drink cold drinks buy outside and replace before the count the next day. 3. Don't use the telphone in your room for overseas calls, they are expensive, and you are only billed when you check out ( Big Shock ) 4. If you are like me I wash my own shorts and T Shirts, if you need to press then now and again use the trouser press, works 100%. 5. When you go to breakfast and you dont fel hungry at the time take a small plastic bag with you and fill what you like and eat in your room later on. 6. Having been in hundreds of hotels worldwide, best value for money being room, good food, friendly service, and of course good points, go to the Holiday Inns they give good value, and they are all over the world. 7.Never change your money in a hotel NEVER they make commission every time, change at the airport on the way to the hotel, just enough to cover your taxi, and go to a local bank next morning:  8. In some hotels the maid put out peanuts & crisps by the T.V. or on top of the fridge, make sure they are free, or you get billed in some hotels, asnothing is free in hotels, thats why they make good money,from people who don't know any better: 9. Remember room service is never free, its added to your bill, me, I like my tea when I want it, so remember the little old kettle, with the International Plugs, to jack in, no matter where you go: Hope this gives you some insight, in how to save some money at least. Regards Paul Beaumont:     

Another excellent website for booking discount rooms is www.laterooms.com It is a bit simplistic to dismiss hotel pricing policy with "there's more demand, and hotels know they can charge more" Most hotels have an economic rate known as the rack rate. With perhaps the exception of Christmas & New Year, when staff costs are substantially higher, most will rarely charge more than the rack rate no matter how heavy the demand. Sure there are some rip-off merchants around who jack up prices when there is a special event around, but usually it rack rate. At times when demand is slack and rooms are unsold, then discounting will take place. Out of season there are simply too many beds chasing too few punters and the discount is designed not just to attract you from the opposition but to generate trade that might not otherwise exist. It is even possible to get rooms for free provided that you eat at the hotel, on the basis that the room is costing them much the same whether it is used or not (apart from a bit of extra heating, hot water, laundry and those free sachets of things that you are going to nick if you dont use them), and there is profit to be made in food and drink. At the end of the day they would rather put a head on the bed at any price and hope you buy something else than leave a room empty - pretty much the same philosophy as seats on discount airlines. A tip: Most discount websites like Laterooms, Last Minute etc charge the hotel a hefty commission. For example I know one of these is a minimum of 15%. Get the room details and price off the discounter's website and contact the hotel direct. Let them know what price you have been quoted and where and then negotiate a further discount against the commission they would otherwise have to pay. Finally, the contents of the tea and coffe tray, and the toileteries in the bathroom are not "yours to take cos youve paid for them". The hotel provides a selection and assumes a typical or average consumption when setting the rack rate. To get a discount rate then clear the lot out is, frankly, cheap & miserly. It is particularly galling for the small Guest House and B&B who just can't buy these things at anything like the bulk price paid by the hotel chains. It is also bad form to eat breafast then sit stuffing rolls with the meat and cheese for your lunch!!

Regarding mini bars, I've noticed that, depending on the hotel chain, if you dislodge a bottle or a can, it clicks on the button underneath the item and the room is charged, irrespective, of whether you actually drink the contents, or not. Have a look inside first before you touch anything, some bars are so small that you can't put your own purchased contents in there anyway, so, place them in the sink in cold water, in mid-afternoon after the maid has cleaned the room, and come the evening time, your drinks are cold enough to consume. If you're having a party, then fill the bath with cold water, it's quicker and easier than going to the hotel ice machine. Every town and city in the world has local shops and supermarkets, so, buy your wares from these outlets, you only pay what the locals do and you can get some fantastic bargains. Never buy anything from the minibars, the items are too small and ALWAYS overpriced.