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Long-term stay (hotels)

post #1 of 32
5/9/11 at 1:30am
Thread Starter 
Anyone here have experience negotiating the rate for a long-term stay?

I'll be checking in for close to 90 days and want to make sure I get as many tips for getting the best rate possible. I've been told that its best to negotiate directly with the GM.

Should I be asking for something in addition to a F&B credit, laundry/dry cleaning, parking credit?
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post #2 of 32
5/9/11 at 1:56am
My parents owned a hotel.... Unless you're staying in a place with 90+% occupancy you can probably get a fairly sizable discount for a stay that long. And yes, talk directly to a decision maker. Oh and season will play a big part assuming you're not staying in a place that has relatively flat occupancy all year. In the low season they'll be willing to rent for quite a bit less than their standard rate.
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post #3 of 32
5/9/11 at 2:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GQgeek View Post
My parents owned a hotel.... Unless you're staying in a place with 90+% occupancy you can probably get a fairly sizable discount for a stay that long. And yes, talk directly to a decision maker. Oh and season will play a big part assuming you're not staying in a place that has relatively flat occupancy all year. In the low season they'll be willing to rent for quite a bit less than their standard rate.
Thanks. I'll be checking in early-mid July in Los Angeles
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post #4 of 32
5/9/11 at 2:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CouttsClient View Post
Thanks. I'll be checking in early-mid July in Los Angeles

FWIW, hotels frequently book rooms out at lower rates than advertised. That's how those discount sites get such good rates. What typically happens is a hotel will look at their previous years for certain times of years and see what their occupancy is. They'll then reserve a certain amount of their excess capacity to get for discount sites to get occupancy up. The marginal costs involved in booking a room to someone are almost nothing, so pretty much anything they charge is good for them.

LA in mid-july you might be shit out of luck though. Even so, the fact that you're gonna be there 90 days weighs strongly in your favor. Check to see if rates drop in Sept and do the math on the differential. I'd suggest this could be the first of many such trips. Hotels are like any other business if they're well run in that good repeat customers are desirable. That said there's always the risk someone will check out early which kinda screws the hotel if they got a really preferential rate when they were otherwise very busy, so take that into account.

The advertised rate will always be higher because I think in a lot of places (at leat it was like this where we had our hotel), a hotel can't all of a sudden charge more because they happen to be full. There were cards on the back of the doors even saying what the rates were supposed to be for customers to check (this was by law), so hotels would put the price higher and rent lower when they had to.
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post #5 of 32
5/9/11 at 2:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GQgeek View Post
FWIW, hotels frequently book rooms out at lower rates than advertised. That's how those discount sites get such good rates. What typically happens is a hotel will look at their previous years for certain times of years and see what their occupancy is. They'll then reserve a certain amount of their excess capacity to get for discount sites to get occupancy up. The marginal costs involved in booking a room to someone are almost nothing, so pretty much anything they charge is good for them. LA in mid-july you might be shit out of luck though. Even so, the fact that you're gonna be there 90 days weighs strongly in your favor. Check to see if rates drop in Sept and do the math on the differential. I'd suggest this could be the first of many such trips. Hotels are like any other business if they're well run in that good repeat customers are desirable. That said there's always the risk someone will check out early which kinda screws the hotel if they got a really preferential rate when they were otherwise very busy, so take that into account. The advertised rate will always be higher because I think in a lot of places (at leat it was like this where we had our hotel), a hotel can't all of a sudden charge more because they happen to be full. There were cards on the back of the doors even saying what the rates were supposed to be for customers to check (this was by law), so hotels would put the price higher and rent lower when they had to.
Thanks for that info... July isn't the best time to be doing this but that is the way it has worked out. I won't really be negotiating them against a competitor bc I only stay in one hotel in whenever I'm there and preferably in the same room if I can. Very much a creature of habit here I have certainly learned about the high rack rate. In the past on 1-2wk stays they have reduced the room rate by $3-400night on average which shocked me. I'll look at the rates as you suggest Do you think its a good strategy to request certain credits in lieu of a more reduction on the rate at a certain point? I was thinking that it may be more favorable for the hotel to give a credit since I may not use it. No doubt the F&B will be major even if I can get one of the rooms with a kitchen
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post #6 of 32
5/9/11 at 10:06am
Corporate housing will be cheaper and nicer than a hotel. In 2002, I spent one month in corporate housing in West L.A. after spending one month in a hotel in downtown L.A.
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post #7 of 32
5/9/11 at 10:45am
If you're staying at a place where you're getting points ala Starwood, etc, be sure to check the fine print on the terms regarding long term stays. SPG has a 30 day limit after which you don't earn points. Of course you can check out for a day and come back and restart the clock.
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post #8 of 32
5/9/11 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser View Post
Corporate housing will be cheaper and nicer than a hotel. In 2002, I spent one month in corporate housing in West L.A. after spending one month in a hotel in downtown L.A.

This is what I was going to suggest.
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post #9 of 32
5/9/11 at 12:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser View Post
Corporate housing will be cheaper and nicer than a hotel. In 2002, I spent one month in corporate housing in West L.A. after spending one month in a hotel in downtown L.A.

I must disagree with that statement but I can understand that you were happy to leave downtown.

I did do a search for a short-term rental but really nothing available that meets the standard.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zippyh View Post
If you're staying at a place where you're getting points ala Starwood, etc, be sure to check the fine print on the terms regarding long term stays. SPG has a 30 day limit after which you don't earn points. Of course you can check out for a day and come back and restart the clock.

Thanks. I won't be getting any hotel points but that is good information to have for the future
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post #10 of 32
5/9/11 at 9:10pm
Thread Starter 
Currently awaiting the first rate offer
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post #11 of 32
5/9/11 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CouttsClient View Post
I must disagree with that statement but I can understand that you were happy to leave downtown.

I did do a search for a short-term rental but really nothing available that meets the standard.



Thanks. I won't be getting any hotel points but that is good information to have for the future

Unless you are staying on some small private hotel, why wouldn't you take points?

That should be enough to earn you status in any program...as for the fine print on stay limits, you can often get someone to check you in as a new stay, especially if you are there for that long and the staff likes you. You can probably even get them to do it without actually moving your room...and high status often gets you things you can't quite buy (like easier negotiations in the future because they already know you can throw down and pay for 90 nights rather than having to trust your word).
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post #12 of 32
5/9/11 at 9:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otc View Post
Unless you are staying on some small private hotel, why wouldn't you take points? That should be enough to earn you status in any program...as for the fine print on stay limits, you can often get someone to check you in as a new stay, especially if you are there for that long and the staff likes you. You can probably even get them to do it without actually moving your room...and high status often gets you things you can't quite buy (like easier negotiations in the future because they already know you can throw down and pay for 90 nights rather than having to trust your word).
I won't be getting points because they aren't offered. The hotel doesn't have a "loyalty program" so to speak. I'll be paying each month in advance which helps me save on the 14% city tax and provides some assurance for the hotel. Service is always great so I'm not concerned about that Once this negotiating process is done I hope I can share some insights into this process that might help others doing the same
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post #13 of 32
5/10/11 at 2:44am
I hoping this is a bungalow at the CM.

lefty
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post #14 of 32
5/10/11 at 2:51am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lefty View Post
I hoping this is a bungalow at the CM. lefty
It isn't but I thought about it. The hotel I prefer is more of a luxury property than the CM. It will definitely be a villa w/kitchen
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post #15 of 32
5/10/11 at 11:54am
Last time I was there I had a lovely conversation with the very lovely Scarlett J. That's got to be worth putting up with a place that's a little tired.

lefty
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