I went a convention with my brother at a hotel and we got into a discussion about how some of these hotels charge you for every little thing.
Programming is a big part of marketing. I feel like hotels have done an excellent job programming the general population.
A lot of folks feel like if they do not stay in a certain type of hotel
that they are lower quality but this is not true.
I have some specific hotel chains in mind based on my own
experiences.
Hotels like the Westin and the Hyatt charge you for things that you get
for free at hotels like the Fairfield Inn, and the Comfort Suites.
There are 3 things I look for when choosing a hotel.
1. Free Wireless Internet Access- If you have a laptop and you travel
a lot this is a must. Another alternative is to pay for your internet
access through your cell phone service provider.
Although cell phone companies do not provide a lot of bandwidth
for their internet services it will still be less expensive than paying
the over-priced daily rates that these hotels charge.
2. Free Continental Breakfast- The continental breakfast is usually healthy
and consists of fruit,
karen millen day dresses, bagels, juice, etc..
Not only do you save money by not buying an extra meal every day, but you
can also take some fruit to snack on throughout the day.
3. Good Location- Sometimes big conventions host their event in these "top quality" hotels and it is convenient to stay in the same hotel.
You have to realize that a lot of these hotels cater to companies because they
have corporate accounts and they can charge them for any and everything.
If your company is not paying for your hotel room it might be wise to get
a less expensive hotel within walking distance.
Not only will you save money but you will get much needed exercise since you
will be more than likely sitting down in convention meetings all day.
If it is too far to walk, look into the cost of a taxi or public transportation. It will probably still be a lot less expensive than staying in the convention hotel.
I do not recommending renting a car though, because not only will they beat you
over the head with rental car fees, but you also have to factor in parking fees.
Some people will argue that all of these fees are tax deductible. Yes, get receipts and deduct all of your expenses, but do not try to use tax deductions as an excuse for careless money management skills.
Much Success,