Do You Feel Hotel Rates Are Too High?

[RedAngie]

The Hampton Inns we stayed at on this trip to/from our destination in Florida were Chattanooga (downtown) Tennessee, Ocala - Florida, Ellenton - Florida, Savannah - Georgia and Beckley, West Virginia.

$200 seems high for any of them, unless some special events were going on in the areas while you were there.

 

[MIGrandma]

Did you happen to check to see if there were any activities going on that would up the cost? My company puts a group of us up in a hotel in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Next weekend, it's $70/night. Derby weekend? $300/night with a 3 night minimum. I'm sure Super Bowl, Final Four, etc rooms are the same way. Look at the rates for the hotels you stayed in for next weekend.

No, I didn't check to see if there were any activities going on that would raise the rates. It really didn't matter to us, in the long run, since we stayed at all 5 hotels on Hilton Honors points. I just happened to notice the rack rate price and was quite surprised at how much they were charging and to know that if we had to pay for the rooms we stayed in it would have cost us $1,000 or so.

When we went down to the Keys last Feb hotels in northern fl were in the 125-150 range- once we got below Tampa we were lucky to get at 175- most wer $200
All Hampton Inns- the one on Key Largo was really nice with a tiki bar and beach on the water

Mainly it's because its SNOWBIRDS season

Added- my favorite hotel now is Homewood suites by Hilton...I like the full kitchen and usually the free breakfast is better than Hampton inns - most are newer which is a plus- and usually only $10-15 more a night than Hampton

We have a very nice Homewood Suites in Grand Rapids and we have stayed there a few times. They are really nice! I like that they have an actual door separating the bedroom from the sitting/living room. So many hotels just have one large room and call it a "suite" and some just have a small partial divider between the areas.

Drury Inns are our favorite, although not Hilton affiliated. I love their suite layout the best, as you walk into the living room from the hallway, then there is the middle section with bathroom on one side and a wet bar with frig/micro on the other, then a bedroom in back. Really nice layout for privacy that way, and if there are four in the room the ones sleeping on the pull-out sofa in the living room don't have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

 

[eliza61]

I'll pay way too much for an on-property room at Disney, but otherplaces over like $150 really bugs me. Disney's pixie dust just seems to take my sticker shock away for some reason!

See I'm the opposite. I think Disney's deluxes are a gigantic ripoff when you compare to what you get out in the real world for 500 bucks a night.

You should see the suite I've booked in the Venetian Hotel in Vegas. OMG and it was 1/2 the price of Disney.

anyhoo,
depending on how I travel will kind of set the price. If I'm in Europe and in a hotel for 10 days, I want the luxury. if I'm driving down to disney from Pennsylvania, I'll get the cheap motel for 1 night.

For me it's more about what you get for the price. 200 for a Hampton is a bit pricey but not outrageously so. I would expect ~140 per night.

 

[RedAngie]

I can't justify paying for a Disney Deluxe Resort anymore, even with a 30% discount. They're really not deluxe for the rates when compared to the real world. The last time I was there we went to moderate, Port Orleans, and that was fine for the 20% discount.

Driving to or from a destination, I really don't like to spend much more than $100, but it's sometimes not possible.

DH has a ton of points from Marriott and Hilton, so at the destinations we can often stay for "free," at least for part of the trip.

 

[E&Cmom]

I agree that $200 is pricey but not outrageous for thr Hampton Inn. It just depends where you are . We have paid $180 ( one bedroom suite ) at the Hampton Inn in the suburbs of Seattle during the summer. I just priced out a room at the same hotel for around now and was $144 for a standard room and $159 for a suite. If I try to get a hotel in Seattle itself it usually seems to be over $200 plus parking which is why we often stay outside the city when we go there.

 

[robinb]

Ugh. I've never stayed at a Hampton Inn that was worth $200 per night!

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

See I'm the opposite. I think Disney's deluxes are a gigantic ripoff when you compare to what you get out in the real world for 500 bucks a night.

You should see the suite I've booked in the Venetian Hotel in Vegas. OMG and it was 1/2 the price of Disney.

anyhoo,
depending on how I travel will kind of set the price. If I'm in Europe and in a hotel for 10 days, I want the luxury. if I'm driving down to disney from Pennsylvania, I'll get the cheap motel for 1 night.

For me it's more about what you get for the price. 200 for a Hampton is a bit pricey but not outrageously so. I would expect ~140 per night.

I hear ya. We have an amazing suite at the Waldorf soon for much less than the CR Tower Club. There's just something about being on property though!

 

[gwynne]

Ugh. I've never stayed at a Hampton Inn that was worth $200 per night!

Often pricing like that is due to events or special location (think near beach in peak weeks.)
It's pretty easy to get some sort of discount, AAA or AARP if you belong to either of those.
We travel once or twice a year to a location in the West. There is a Hampton Inn and a Hilton Garden Inn located very near each other. Most of the time, I find a better rate at the HGI. It pays to shop around, book early, and check you rates over time. Frequently I am able to drop my rate when there is a rate change in my favor.

 

[minnie1012]

I totally agree. I was looking into going to Ocean City,MD this summer. I finally found a hotel that I thought looked nice it was $400-$500 a night! It's a Holiday Inn! I just thought that was crazy! So now I'm looking into going to Virginia where there is more to do & the prices seem to be lower.

 

[shoney]

I totally agree. I was looking into going to Ocean City,MD this summer. I finally found a hotel that I thought looked nice it was $400-$500 a night! It's a Holiday Inn! I just thought that was crazy! So now I'm looking into going to Virginia where there is more to do & the prices seem to be lower.

That is why we started going to all inclusives in Mexico for our beach vacations. We went to Ocean city MD and rented a condo for the week when the kids were very little (baby and 2) and it was about $3600 for the week. That was 14 years ago! I have taken them to Mexico 4 times now and for between $3500 and $4000 is all meals, drinks, activities, airfare etc...Of course there is still more spending money that we do, but it is all worth it to me!

 

[Poohforyou]

No, I didn't check to see if there were any activities going on that would raise the rates. It really didn't matter to us, in the long run, since we stayed at all 5 hotels on Hilton Honors points. I just happened to notice the rack rate price and was quite surprised at how much they were charging and to know that if we had to pay for the rooms we stayed in it would have cost us $1,000 or so.



We have a very nice Homewood Suites in Grand Rapids and we have stayed there a few times. They are really nice! I like that they have an actual door separating the bedroom from the sitting/living room. So many hotels just have one large room and call it a "suite" and some just have a small partial divider between the areas.

Drury Inns are our favorite, although not Hilton affiliated. I love their suite layout the best, as you walk into the living room from the hallway, then there is the middle section with bathroom on one side and a wet bar with frig/micro on the other, then a bedroom in back. Really nice layout for privacy that way, and if there are four in the room the ones sleeping on the pull-out sofa in the living room don't have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

The rack rate isn't an accurate indication of what you'd pay in cash. You can always find some kind of discount that'll bring the price down.

 

[Christine]

That is why we started going to all inclusives in Mexico for our beach vacations. We went to Ocean city MD and rented a condo for the week when the kids were very little (baby and 2) and it was about $3600 for the week. That was 14 years ago! I have taken them to Mexico 4 times now and for between $3500 and $4000 is all meals, drinks, activities, airfare etc...Of course there is still more spending money that we do, but it is all worth it to me!

Oh, yeah, OCMD is a ripoff when it comes to room rates. I used to go all the time but got priced out for my little honky-tonk beach town!! I can actually do Disney (VRBO rental and airfare) cheaper than a week at OC.

 

[gwynne]

The rack rate isn't an accurate indication of what you'd pay in cash. You can always find some kind of discount that'll bring the price down.

And if "rack" is what's on the back of the door, that price is rarely ever charged. I think mostly it's legal talk, should things ever get legal.

 

[NewRVLady]

Ugh. I've never stayed at a Hampton Inn that was worth $200 per night!

Really? I sure have.....how about this one on Key Largo-about $225-one pic missing is the Tiki Hut bar on the beach

 

[Squirlz]

We stayed at Jewel Dunn's in Jamaica in 2013 and '14. October had the best rates and in '13 we got a One Bedroom Ocean View Butler Suite for about $398 a night. That was a great deal for a place with 24 hour food and liquor and other beverages in your room. The next year I reserved the same category but our Butler god us bumped into the Honeymoon Haven Suite. Bigger than our house with 2 balconies for the same price.

Well Hilton took over after that and now those rooms are $517 and $625 respectively for Hilton Honors members. That's too much for a 2 week stay when there is so much to choose from at that price point.

 

[longboard55]

We own a condotel so we see the expenses, Property taxes, insurance, utilities which can be very high, maids, security, travel agent fees, front desk, advertising, exterminators, maintenance, supplies, laundry, gardeners. Then you need to redecorate every few years. I think make most their profit off of ballroom rentals. The only ones getting rich are the companies like Marriott who manage and take a fee

 

[Colleen27]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We just got home from a weekend in the city and I was very happy with the room we had for $159/night - high floor in a downtown high-rise, in a fabulous location with a pretty decent view, indoor pool and full fitness center, and the room was massive and very comfortable. I've paid that for Disney moderates too, and felt it was just fine - the rooms aren't spectacular but the resort amenities and location make it worth the price. But when I've paid the same money for a reasonably clean-looking place in nondescript I-75 suburbia to crash for the night on a road trip I certainly feel like it is too much for what I'm getting.

 

[arminnie]

When I first retired a little over 10 years ago I could often score a value at Disney for as low as $50. Recently I was helping a friend plan a trip, and they are looking at $200 a night for the same room. I even scored a Savannah room at AKL for $107 back then. Now it's at least triple that.

Maybe 5 years ago I could count on staying at a Fairfield Inn or the equivalent for $100 max. No way now. Inflation is RAMPANT. Yet according to the social security indexes there's been virtually no inflation for the past 7-8 years.

 

[NewRVLady]

I use AAA (or AARP rate) and booking 2 weeks ahead often gets you a better rate at some locals

If its a busy place for Businessmen, the fri-sat rates often are much cheaper-we found this at the Marriott in CT where my son lives. $110 on Fri-Sat...and it DOUBLES for Sun-thurs $225

smaller towns the Hamptons are cheaper than medium cities

 

[HeatherC]

I seem to have a personal limit of $150 a night...just won't pay over that. Luckily, I have always been able to score a good deal for whatever we need. I think booking as far in advance as you can definitely helps.

Right now I am staying for 10 nights in a Residence Inn in Ft Lauderdale for $129 a night during the middle of high season. I booked this room back last March when I was sitting in snowmageddon in Boston. Same room now is almost $375 a night.

I also just booked a room near Sanibel Island for next January in a 1 bedroom suite that sleeps six with kitchen for $107 a night. Also a Residence Inn and I can cancel up to the day before if plans change.

I just cannot see paying $500 a night for a place to sleep...especially since most places we travel to we are out and about all day and not hanging out there anyway.

I figure by doing this, I can go more places, more often which for me is my ultimate goal.