10/23/95 PRICIER HOTELS ARE PILING ON THE EXTRAS

PRICIER HOTELS ARE PILING ON THE EXTRAS

Gone are the days of the early 1990s, when you could haggle at the front desk of a hotel and get a $150 room for just $100. Rising occupancies because of a loosening of business travel dollars, an increase in domestic tourism, the lack of new hotel construction, and a reduction in operating expenses have made hotels more profitable and less desperate to put heads in beds.
But while most major lodging chains have dumped the discounts and jacked up room rates 3% to 5% annually in the past two years, they're loath to lose your personal or corporate business to less expensive competitors. So hoteliers are scrambling to offer more for your money in the form of value-added promotions. ``It's very clear that hotel chains are upgrading their services to justify their rates,'' says Douglas Shifflet, president of D.K. Shifflet & Associates, a McLean (Va.) travel research firm.
Programs aimed at leisure travelers hope to tempt you with extras such as complimentary breakfast and free stays for the kids. For example, Radisson's Bed & Breakfast Breakaways package offers a full breakfast for two (worth $12 per person) at the room rate, which averages $84.40 per night. That's only $5 more than the same room without breakfast included. Similarly, Holiday Inn Worldwide's Best Breaks features a room and breakfast for two at a rate that is less than if breakfast were added on to the bill, says Craig Hunt, vice-president for worldwide franchising.
By tacking on some restrictions, other companies are able to bundle in more extensive services. ITT Sheraton, for one, offers some meals, accommodations for children at no charge, and room upgrades at full rates under its Family and Romance Vacation packages. The catch is that you have to stay for a minimum of two or three nights. The programs are available at 19 hotels, mostly in California, Florida, and Hawaii and will be beefed up in 1996, says David Kalsbeek, senior vice-president and director of marketing and strategic planning.
MOBILE DESKS. Not surprisingly, some of the best deals are reserved for business travelers who usually pay premium rates. But check ahead when booking. These services, which may include in-room fax machines, special desks, and current-release movies, are not offered at every property in every chain, and some hotels throw in more than others. ``Some of our travelers find these rooms worth the money, especially if they need to use certain business services every day,'' says Peter Buchheit, director of travel and meeting services at Black & Decker in Towson, Md.
Each of Radisson's Business Class rooms in 200 hotels provides newspapers, movies, coffee, breakfast, free local phone service, fax receipt and delivery, and computer hookup. These rooms average $20 per night above the corporate rate for services worth $35 to $50, says Geof Rochester, senior vice-president for marketing at Radisson Hotels Worldwide.
Clarion charges a $20 premium above its average daily rate for the Business Gold Room, as does Westin for its Guest Office. The latter, in addition to offering speakerphones and some free calls, includes the use of a printer, fax machine, and copier and health-club access. Westin is rolling out the program in 32 hotels initially. Marriott International's upscale, full-service hotels offer the Room That Works at no extra charge. Currently at 30 properties, it will be available chainwide next year. The standard rooms are equipped with mobile writing desks, movable task lights, adjustable working chairs, and a PC modem jack mounted on a special console table.
Travelers who had become accustomed to more luxury for less cost may not feel that the extras make up for the higher room rates they now must pay. But after years of discounting, these are heady times for hoteliers. So a free breakfast here and a fax machine there may be the best you can expect.
By Laura Koss-Feder