Tips on Accommodations

Virginia has a vast array of accommodations, from rock-bottom roadside motels to some of the nation's finest resorts. Whether you spend a pittance or a bundle depends on your budget and tastes. You can enjoy "champagne tastes on a beer budget" -- if you plan carefully and possess a little knowledge of how the hotel industry works.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation publishes a directory of all the state's accommodations.

Saving On Your Hotel Room

In this book, we give each hotel's rack rate, which is the maximum rate that it charges for a room. These price ranges are becoming less meaningful as more and more hotels engage in "yield management," under which they change their rates almost daily depending on how many people are booked for a particular night. In other words, you won't know the price of a room until you call the hotel or book online for a particular date.

Hardly anybody pays rack rate, so here are some tricks to lower the cost of your room.

Ask about special rates or other discounts. Always ask whether a room less expensive than the first one quoted is available or whether any special rates apply to you. You may qualify for corporate, student, military, senior, or other discounts. Mention membership in AAA, AARP, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions, which may entitle you to special deals as well. Find out the hotel policy on children -- do kids stay free in the room or is there a special rate?

Dial direct. When booking a room in a chain hotel, you'll often get a better deal by calling the individual hotel's reservation desk rather than the chain's main number.

Book online. Many hotels offer Internet-only discounts, or supply rooms to Priceline, Hotwire, or Expedia at rates much lower than the ones you can get through the hotel itself.

Remember the law of supply and demand. Resort hotels are most crowded and therefore most expensive on weekends, so discounts are usually available for midweek stays. Business hotels in downtown locations are busiest during the week, so you can expect big discounts over the weekend. Many hotels have high-season and low-season prices, and booking the day after high season ends can mean big discounts.

Look into group or long-stay discounts. If you come as part of a large group, you should be able to negotiate a bargain rate since the hotel can then guarantee occupancy in a number of rooms. Likewise, if you're planning a long stay (at least 5 days), you might qualify for a discount. As a general rule, expect 1 night free after a 7-night stay.

Avoid excess charges and hidden costs. When you book a room, ask whether the hotel charges for parking. Use your own cellphone, pay phones, or prepaid phone cards instead of dialing direct from hotel phones, which usually have exorbitant rates. And don't be tempted by the room's minibar offerings: Most hotels charge through the nose for water, soda, and snacks. Finally, ask about local taxes and service charges, which can increase the cost of a room by 15% or more. If a hotel insists upon tacking on a surprise "energy surcharge" that wasn't mentioned at check-in or a "resort fee" for amenities you didn't use, you can often make a case for getting it removed.

Book an efficiency room. A room with a kitchenette allows you to shop for groceries and cook meals. This is a big money saver, especially for families on long stays.

Landing the Best Room

Somebody has to get the best room in the house. It might as well be you.

Always ask about a corner room. They're often larger and quieter, with more windows and light, and they often cost the same as standard rooms.

When you make your reservation, ask if the hotel is renovating; if it is, request a room away from the construction. Ask about nonsmoking rooms; rooms with views; and rooms with twin, queen-size, or king-size beds. If you're a light sleeper, request a quiet room away from vending machines, elevators, restaurants, bars, and discos. Ask for one of the rooms that have been most recently renovated or redecorated. If you aren't happy with your room when you arrive, talk to the front desk. If they have another room, they may be willing to accommodate you. Join the hotel's frequent visitor club; you may qualify for upgrades.

Bed & Breakfasts

Virginia has several hundred bed-and-breakfasts, far too many to mention but a handful of the best in this book. Most have rooms adorned with antiques or quality reproductions, luxurious touches like fresh flowers and top-drawer linens and toiletries, and gourmet breakfasts. Some even add whirlpool tubs to their bathrooms. All these niceties have a price, so bed-and-breakfasts aren't inexpensive. Nor are they for everyone, since you'll be sharing a home with strangers -- with whom you'll have to make small talk in the morning. On the other hand, you don't have to go out for breakfast, and the hosts are usually fonts of information about where to dine and what to see and do.

More than 200 of the best belong to the Bed & Breakfast Association of Virginia, P.O. Box 1077, Standardsville, VA 22973 (tel. 888/660-2228 or 540/672-6700; www.bbav.org). BBAV publishes an annual directory of its members and lists them on its website. The association inspects and approves the establishments it promotes.

The Virginia Division of Tourism operates a reservation service for country inns and bed-and-breakfasts (tel. 800/934-9184). Most local visitor centers will send you a list of bed-and-breakfasts in their area.