We realize that many of our clients travel for business. Choosing the right hotel for your stay can help improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide a better overall experience. From free breakfast to room upgrades, additional bonus points and more, we’ll share some pro traveler secrets that will improve your hotel game.
The single most important tip that we can offer you is this: Choose one hotel brand and be loyal to them. Our favorite is Marriott. The Marriott Collection of hotels includes not only Marriott – but Gaylord, Fairfield, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton, the Westin, and twenty four other familiar brands. They are divided into classes such as Luxury, Premium, Select and Longer Stay hotels.
Joining the Marriott Bonvoy program allows you to earn points and privileges. Points and loyalty status can earn you a free breakfast, room upgrades, access to the executive lounge, bonus points, early check-in, late check-out, and more. Why pay for an expensive breakfast when you can enjoy breakfast free?
Use your reward earning credit card to pay for your stays. As an example, American Express also allows you to earn points. Those points can be redeemed for free hotel stays at Marriott. When you move to the higher tiers of loyalty with a hotel brand, you earn even more points for each stay.
Pro Tip: Use the combination of the right credit card brand with the right hotel brand to really work the points and reward systems. Check to see what specials are going on with both your credit card company and the hotel. In some cases, you can earn 10 times the points normally earned just for using your card at a specific brand.
Cleanliness, proximity to your meeting locations, reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp, the age of the hotel and free food/beverage options should be considered. At Residence Inn, the nightly reception party provides enough appetizers to be considered a free meal. Who doesn’t love free wine with their dinner? That is also offered.
If your company forces you to book your hotel through a portal such as Expedia, you might be out of luck on the perks. If you book through third-party sites, it will not help you build loyalty. While you might get a slightly lower rate, in the long run, it will not pay off.
Don’t be fooled into believing that the rate you saw online is the final price. Call the hotel directly and ask to speak to a manger. Let them know that you prefer to stay at their hotel but your company won’t approve the rate. Ask them if they will match a lower rate provided by another hotel and throw out a rate. Hotel managers want every room in their hotel booked and will often work with you. Just as you enjoy gaining new customers and making the sale, hotel managers do as well and they are evaluated on the occupancy levels of their hotels.
That hotel registration clerk has more power than you think. They are paid slightly above minimum wage and a nice tip when checking in will take you far. Stick a $20 bill in between your license and credit card as you present it to the clerk. This is called a “hotel sandwich”. Politely ask if they can make sure that you get a nice room. They understand. If they can’t move you to an upgrade, many will hand it back. If they don’t, they will remember you, address you by name and do everything they can to make your stay memorable.
Remember, no matter where you are going, call 877-FLY-ECKO to book your ground transportation. No matter what city you are leaving from or what city you are arriving in, Ecko Worldwide Transportation Group has you covered from doorstep-to-doorstep and we provide Satisfaction in Every Turn.
Reserve your transportation today by clicking HERE.