Comments on: A Solution to Hotel Booking and Rate Frustrations http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/2012/02/a-solution-to-hotel-booking-and-rate-frustrations.html Iconoclastic News, Views and Reviews on Travel and Travel-Related Technology Mon, 14 May 2012 16:14:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Rowell http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/2012/02/a-solution-to-hotel-booking-and-rate-frustrations.html/comment-page-1#comment-1211 David Rowell Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:17:08 +0000 http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/?p=908#comment-1211 Hi, David You raise a very good point. I've had similar experiences too. In such cases I'll usually see if I can get the central rez person to negotiate a special rate on behalf of the hotel I'm calling about, but with limited success, so I often end up calling the hotel back and asking if I can speak to the Duty Manager. Hi, David

You raise a very good point. I’ve had similar experiences too.

In such cases I’ll usually see if I can get the central rez person to negotiate a special rate on behalf of the hotel I’m calling about, but with limited success, so I often end up calling the hotel back and asking if I can speak to the Duty Manager.

]]> By: D R http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/2012/02/a-solution-to-hotel-booking-and-rate-frustrations.html/comment-page-1#comment-1210 D R Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:14:36 +0000 http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/?p=908#comment-1210 Hi David, In the past year I've had to attend meetings where a group rate had been previously arranged. In the old days, if you called the central Rez number for Marriott for example, they would have no knowledge of the negotiated rate, and tell you to call the hotel directly, more often than not on a non-toll free line. Three times this past year because of the past experieces, I called the local Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree and asked for the reservations department. In each case, I was transferred to their Central Rez service. My clues were a change in the 'quality" of the phone connection, the ACD announcement, and actually asking the reservationist I reached if they are at the specific hotel or in a central local. In each case I was told I was dealing with the "Central Rez" department. You clearly know the industry better than I, but I wonder, if with the downturn in the economy, more of the franchise hotels are finding it cheaper to close their in-house sections, and pay (I assume) some service fee to their Centralized Service. Regards, David Hi David, In the past year I’ve had to attend meetings where a group rate had been previously arranged. In the old days, if you called the central Rez number for Marriott for example, they would have no knowledge of the negotiated rate, and tell you to call the hotel directly, more often than not on a non-toll free line.

Three times this past year because of the past experieces, I called the local Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree and asked for the reservations department. In each case, I was transferred to their Central Rez service. My clues were a change in the ‘quality” of the phone connection, the ACD announcement, and actually asking the reservationist I reached if they are at the specific hotel or in a central local.

In each case I was told I was dealing with the “Central Rez” department.

You clearly know the industry better than I, but I wonder, if with the downturn in the economy, more of the franchise hotels are finding it cheaper to close their in-house sections, and pay (I assume) some service fee to their Centralized Service.

Regards, David

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