Half price is about the best hotel deal most travelers are likely to find, and you can’t get it through a travel agency. Moreover, it is not available when a hotel expects to be more than about 80 percent full.
Fortunately, you don’t have to bypass your travel agency to arrange a discount up to 40 percent at a hotel. Chances are, your agency already belongs to one or more consortia or hotel-booking services that can provide “preferred” discount rates. And even if it doesn’t, a directory from Travelgraphics makes sizable discounts available through any agency.
What’s a preferred rate? Basically, many hotels give discount rates to travel agencies and agency groups that are in a position to send them lots of business:
– Some national chains, such as Carlson and American Express, are large enough by themselves to command discount rates.
– Many small chains and independent agencies belong to at least one consortium of up to 1,000 other agencies that pool their buying strength to arrange preferred hotel rates (as well as deals on other travel services).
– Many small chains and independent agencies arrange hotel discounts through independent hotel booking services, and those organizations have enough customers to command discount rates.
– A few travel clubs include a preferred-rate program (although most offer a half-price program instead).
On average, I’ve found that preferred-rate discounts range from 10 to 40 percent, with only a few that go as high as 50 percent. However, unlike half- price discounts, preferred-rate deals generally are available as long as a hotel has any space at all; they are not cut off at some occupancy level such as 80 percent.
Like most other hotel discounts, a preferred-rate deal typically can’t be combined with any other promotion-a weekend rate, a senior discount or an auto club deal.
I see two main problems with preferred rates:
1. They’re usually confined to midpriced or expensive hotels. Except for some large corporate customers, you seldom see a preferred-rate discount at a budget motel, bed-and-breakfast accommodations or country inn. Even after the discount, a preferred-rate deal is seldom the cheapest room you can find.
2. Discounts at the lower end of the range are trivial. When you get no more than 10 percent off, you really should look for some other alternative- some other kind of discount, for example, or a preferred rate at some other hotel, or even rack rate at a cheaper hotel.
I’ve even seen a few cases in which preferred rates actually are higher than the cheapest advertised rack rate.
The easiest way to arrange a preferred rate is through a travel agency. If you have a regular travel agency, ask the agent who handles your trip to show you its list of preferred rate hotels in the places you plan to visit. Check to see if any meets your requirements for location and features at an attractive price.
In my view, any competent full-service travel agency should have some sort of preferred-rate program.
Even if you normally use only an airfare discounter, however, or don’t use an agency at all, you still can get preferred rates. Travelgraphics publishes a preferred rate directory. Order from Travelgraphics, 6320 McDonough Drive, Suite A, Norcross, Ga. 30093; 800-663-7918. Cost is $15.95.
