On 3/24/2010 8:36 AM, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 07:53:33AM -0700, Lou Berger wrote:
AMS took over. If the problem is really as you suggest, that rates go
down from the time of contract signing to when the meeting is actually
held, then this can be easily addressed in the contract. If one had
When you book a hotel as part of a large group like this, you are
effectively participating in a futures market. What you're asking for
is not to participate in a futures market, but for Hilton (or whatever
hotel) to agree to take all the risks and for you to get all the
benefit. I think it would be insane for a hotel manager to agree to
that.
yes but they do for their larger client's who regularly register for
these events. Especially in today's world where travel is much more
expensive for people to cover.
The walk-up rate is irrelevant to this discussion. Hotel staff are
under enormous pressure when the hotel isn't booked completely to get
the rooms full, even if the room is rented for the night at an
enormous discount from average revenue, because an empty room means 0
revenue. (There is, of course, a minimum, but it's really low. When
I was an undergraduate, rather than working in a bookstore I worked in
a hotel. I once rented a room for 1/10th average revenue, thereby
making our minimum occupancy for the day and earning great praise from
my boss who did not get chewed out about vacancy the next day. This
was in February in Ottawa. Nobody wanted to be there.) By the same
token, of course, as the hotel fills up the rate goes up, because the
chances that someone will get desperate and need the room at whatever
price goes up.
Supply and demand is the key here.
The rate you get, therefore, when booking as part of a
group well in advance, includes a certain amount of money that amounts
to an insurance premium: you pay more in order to get the stable rate,
betting in effect that the hotel will fill up and you'd have to pay
rack rate to get a room.
Having run the bookings for the ABA's ISC for several years this is only
true of parties who have no clout. The bolt-on expenses cover the
operations and profit at the venues usually.
If the client is well respected we generally got the better rates or we
wouldnt use those hotels next year. I cant tell you what I paid the
Fairmont for meeting rooms - it would make you scream with the extortion
the IETF is subjected to, but hey I offered to help with these issues.
If you don't want to take that bet, don't:
wait until near the meeting time and see whether you can do better.
In Beijing this wont be a problem IMHO...
I'm not much of a betting man myself, so I prefer the predictable
though slightly more expensive rate. (None of this is to disagree
with the others who've pointed out how simplistic the walk-up
rate:conference rate comparison is anyway.)
Best,
A
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