| I am always amused when I read travel advice in | | | | which people never consider that it makes a |
| national newspapers and on-line magazines written by | | | | definitive answer impossible. Rooms sell as a |
| their in-house 'experts'. One recent article I came | | | | commodity - supply and demand (and hotel owner |
| across from a prominent internet travel magazine had | | | | policy) dictates what rooms might rent for, not logic. |
| travel author state that it is ALWAYS better to | | | | It seems fair to assume the early bird gets the |
| book hotels in advance, especially cheap hotels. I've | | | | worm but I often see people who paid $107 six |
| read other articles that claim waiting until you arrive | | | | months prior come in on the heels of someone I |
| at your destination will net you the lowest rate. So | | | | quoted $88 to a half hour earlier. What hurts is when |
| which is it? | | | | the reverse is true and rooms are scarce anywhere |
| Here's a pair of actual recent events for you: A | | | | in the area. The early bird definitely gets the worm |
| guest checked in on a night when I was renting | | | | and that worm is saving them almost $50. |
| rooms for $88.00 plus tax. This guest had booked | | | | Finally, consider this. The night I mentioned I was |
| weeks earlier through an internet travel site and had | | | | renting rooms for $159? I told perhaps a dozen |
| paid $109 before all taxes and fees. One night earlier, | | | | people I was sold out when I actually had 2 rooms. |
| a guest checked in that had reserved a room 5 days | | | | Why? Because sometimes things happen and |
| earlier for $109 plus tax. I had rented my remaining | | | | someone on staff (like ME) made a mistake and a |
| rooms that night for $159.00 plus tax. | | | | guaranteed reservation that we entered for the |
| Doesn't seem to make sense - book early pay more, | | | | wrong date shows up. Or perhaps a valued frequent |
| book later pay less? Just to confuse matters even | | | | guest calls and needs a last minute room. Or |
| more, on a recent night when we were renting | | | | something breaks in a room like a water pipe and |
| rooms for $119, a guest who had booked a week | | | | you need to move someone. Saving a couple rooms |
| earlier paid $107 and another guest who had booked | | | | when you know you will rent them eventually |
| months earlier also paid 107.00. A guest who booked | | | | anyway is just plain smart. So how do you the |
| earlier in the same day paid $129.00 however, so | | | | potential guest figure this out? I could offer a |
| now the reverse seemed true: book early, pay less, | | | | suggestion but you would think it self-serving so I'll |
| book late, pay more. What's going on? | | | | leave it up to you to ponder. Suffice to say that |
| In the case of the experts, what's going on is that | | | | very rarely does anyone ever question me and |
| they are both right. And both wrong as well. What | | | | NEVER do they seem to consider the possibilities. So |
| they should be saying is SOMETIMES it pays to book | | | | I sit on my vacant rooms and they continue driving |
| early and sometimes to wait until you land. As an | | | | endlessly looking for one in an area where few if any |
| 'expert' myself, some might suggest that is a cop-out | | | | rooms are still vacant. |
| answer but there are so many factors involved | | | | |