June 29, 2004 -- There's almost nothing hotels will not do to get your business. They'll add on amenities, offer free chocolates, or strew the bedspread with rose petals. A posh resort in the Bermudas just announced that gentlemen will no longer have to wear jackets and neckties (gasp!) in their dining room! On occasion, they will even do what was once unthinkable -- lowering prices in high season.
Overall Planning
You could learn a lot from Consumer Reports' latest cover story investigation about hotel chains. The most significant result of their search comes from surveys of about 35,000 readers and what they said about nearly 55,000 hotel stays covering more than 157,000 nights in a 16-month period (January 2002-April 2003). The highlights of the study are as follows:
Almost seven out of ten readers were very satisfied or completely satisfied with their experience, but a third had at least one complaint. Problems grew as the hotel category fell from luxury to budget. What they didn't like, in descending order, were unattractive decor, poor room lighting, and excessive phone charges. Much of that is predictable, of course, unless you know people who stay at Motel 6 for the décor or subtle lighting.
On the other hand, they report that about three out of four times, the readers questioned said that hotels gave a better deal than the various online reservation sites (a tip we've been repeating for the last few months). Get the complete article in their July issue, or get it online with a paid subscription at www.consumerreports.org.
Wave the Flag
It's short notice on this one, but St. Thomas' Bolongo Bay Beach Club is offering a "Red, White & Blue Package" to celebrate July 4th. If you book a minimum of five nights on the resort's "semi-inclusive" continental plan (CP) that includes July 4, you'll get a free night's stay (valued at $195) and an "All-American Beach Barbecue" (one person, based on double occupancy). If you book seven nights on the CP plan, you get two free passes for an all-day sail and beach outing to St. John aboard the resort's 53-foot catamaran, with lunch and open bar (valued at $100 per person).
You have to book this package at 800/524-4746 or via e-mail at info@bolongobay.com, and be sure to mention the promotional name when reserving. The CP option includes beachfront lodging; free use of non-motorized water sports with instruction; a scuba diving in-pool lesson; use of basketball, volleyball and tennis courts plus equipment; and nightly entertainment. The rates are $195 per room, based on double occupancy, valid now through August 31, 2004. Rates do not include hotel tax and service charges, totaling 15%. Their website is www.bolongobay.com.
Family Fun Package
Especially in summer, families are the big thing in hotel marketing. A good example is the "Family Fun Package" offered by the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle. The rates start at $265 for a deluxe room with two queen beds in this beautifully renovated lodging, one of the last remaining locally-owned, independent hotels in the Seattle area. Built in 1927, the Mayflower Park is right downtown and is one of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America. When the city's famous Monorail is running again (after an electrical fire shut it down recently), you can take it right from the hotel to the Seattle Center to visit the Pacific Science Center, the IMAX Theater, the Experience Music Project and the Space Needle. There's free bus service all around the downtown area and to the waterfront, where you can visit the Seattle Aquarium, board a sightseeing boat or a Washington State ferry.
Also included are two adult tickets and two childrens tickets for the Monorail, the Space Needle observation deck, the Experience Music Project and the Pacific Science Center. You get valet parking at the hotel and a special turn down service just for the kids, plus an hour's worth of Nintendo gratis. On check in, each child gets an insulated lunch tote with a stuffed animal, crayons and coloring sheets. Rates are on a space available basis and are good through December 30, 2004. Phone them at 800/426-5100 or 206/382-6990, e-mail mayflowerpark@mayflowerpark.com.
Bargains Everywhere
If you don't believe the Consumer Reports conclusions apply to you and want to make your hotel booking on the Internet, you can still go to one of our favorites, www.hoteldiscounts.com, where there are deals on hotel rooms in dozens of cities. At time of writing, you could book the Stratosphere in Las Vegas from $46 per room, the deluxe Flamingo from $80 and the ultra posh Venetian from $169.
In Houston, the Comfort Inn Downtown was going from $61 per room through September 30, 2004, the LaQuinta Wirt Road from $58.99 through July 31, 2004 and the Bradford Park 10 from $69 through September 9, 2004. In Miami, we found the Beach House Bal Harbour from $99, the Roney Palace Oceanfront Resort from $115 and the Loews Miami Beach from $179. If you prefer, phone them at 800/364-0801 for rates they claim are up to 70% off rack rates.
