A recent AOL Travel News blog listing unscrupulous hotel fees made me realize that I have collected some good tips to offer our readers — especially those of you wanting/needing to pinch pennies and unwilling to put up with the excess charges from many higher priced hotels.

In BPI’s lean start-up days, we found out that a little clever research could cut a travel budget almost in half. Conference organizers need people to fill reserved room blocks — but if the price of staying in a conference hotel is prohibitive for you, and you can’t attend a conference unless you cut your costs somehow, these tips may be useful. At times there is a business necessity for spending more to be nearer the action, but I find that I now take offense at the kinds of extra fees lamented in the above-referenced blog.

Finding a lesser-known or -promoted hotel doesn't take much more time than choosing a conference hotel or a familiar (but spendy) four-star place. And once you see what you can save, you might find that the search can be fun. I can most often stay in three-star hotels (and an occasional four-star) for <$125/night, and I aim for $100/night (before taxes). The ideal hotel

• is near the conference venue or conference hotels that offer free shuttle service,
• is close to safe public transportation (and therefore offers free hotel shuttles to the metro or other station — or a safe walk if I am returning in the evening),
• offers a nearby economy lot or free parking if I drive; or offers free street parking after 6:00 PM and up to 9 AM. (One hotel I like doesn’t charge for valet parking unless you park overnight — now that is civilized!)
• offers free wireless Internet service (that actually works),
• provides a free buffet-style breakfast with actual protein (and those cool flippy waffle makers are a bonus!),
• is near to a good variety of restaurants or, if an extended-stay-style hotel, close to a grocery store (I shall get to that in a minute); has room service or provides information about ordering a delivery from local restaurants,
• is of course clean and well appointed; the TV works, the blow-dryer works, and there are reachable outlets for plugging in your many chargers!
• has a friendly staff that makes me feel welcome and that is knowledgeable about the area.

The Downsides . . .

If you are not in a conference hotel, you may need to get up and out earlier to reach the venue. But for larger meetings that provide a number of hotels with event shuttles, everyone has to get up earlier anyway.

Many “boutique” hotels offer historical flavor; that is, they are old and often rennovated or being so. If you'll be gone during the days, the jackhammers on the conceirge level won’t bother you. If you're a tourist and want to come back for a nap — they might. Don’t complain about the old-style elevator that is big enough only for two people and their luggage. Maybe it is slower than you are used to. Just pretend you are in an older European hotel and practice your high-school German or French on your elevatormates. We all need to slow down now and then, and while waiting for elevators, I have enjoyed short chats with other guests from all over the world. Ask them whether they’ve discovered any good restaurants — I’ve gotten some of my best dining recommendations while waiting for elevators. (I also like coercing a smile from a grumpy claustrophobic person, but that is just my perverse nature . . . heh).

If you have to have a large room, you probably should be prepared to spend more money. But I have had tiny rooms in Hiltons also; most of the rooms I find are comparable in size to those in “fancier” hotels. My favorite boutique hotel in Boston gave me two couches, a table that would have seated a family of six, a queen-size bed, and enough room to do my exercises. And a free breakfast, but it was also next to a wonderful diner. My favorite spot in La Jolla gives me a queen-sized bed, a couch, a little table and chairs . . . so — what do you need so much room for, anyway? You are going to sleep there, bathe, do some work (which you are most likely to do lying on your bed anyway), and maybe watch some TV.

I have found a few duds, but only a couple, and not lately. One hotel — actually a major chain that is usually nicely dependable for lower costs — wouldn’t honor my request for a nonsmoking room even after a number of people checked out the next morning (and throughout a long week). I’ve also been placed in a room with a sliding door that led directly to the pool area . . . at the height of the summer tourist season. Never again.

If you are in a boutique hotel, it may not be as well insulated from street noise as a spendier place might be (more about that below). Some boutique hotels have older ventilation systems that will bring some smoke into the nonsmoking rooms. I’ve closed vents, placed towels under doorways, and tacked (yes, I was desperate) towels over vents. But I’ve also had to do much the same at $300/night hotels.

Especially in nice warm climates, a number of hotels have outside walkways. The rooms tend to be a little noisier (traffic, luggage wheelies on the concrete) and feel a bit less secure. If the lighting is not good on that walkway or if you feel at all unsafe, ask for a new room or think about finding another place.

Some very nice places do not have elevators or elevators to all floors. If you have to carry your luggage up three flights (assuming you don’t want to tip a porter), remember that you have to do so only once (says “Pollyanna”). Making more than one trip up and down to move in won’t kill you (I hope), and if you’ve been sitting on a plane for five hours, you need to move to avoid thrombosis anyway. Bringing your stuff down the stairs a few days later is a lot easier. With wheeled luggage and pretty good aim, you can enjoy the gravity of the situation.

Solutions

1. Complaining is sometimes necessary, but do it cordially. Consider that squeaky wheels may get greased, but despite her irritating cheerfulness, Pollyanna charmed her entire town. (Producing an asthma inhaler also can help you get a new room if yours smells too much of smoke.) In one case, a hotel manager visited my room to see what I was talking about (she didn’t believe me) and was appalled at how strong the cigarette smell was in my nonsmoking block. I got moved to a suite for no extra charge.
   
2. If you know you have trouble being near the noise of the drink machines and elevators, simply don’t let them put you there. But if there is no other choice, and people are being very loud coming off of the elevator after 11 or so, call the front desk. There may be a group of kids on their annual DC tour or something who just need to be reminded to shut the heck up. Another option is to go to your door and yell through the crack, “Some of us are tryin' to SLEEP here!” Sometimes that works. Such hallway noise problems are possible in any hotel, though.
   
3. The above point cuts both ways: Lower-priced chains or boutique hotels will sometimes (but not always!) have thinner walls. If someone in a neighboring room keeps you up late and you have to get up at 6:00 AM, your shower and alarm clock and morning news on the TV (gee, too bad I am hard of hearing and have to turn it up) will indeed be good “punishment” — but why start your day being vindictive?
   
4. Views are really nice. I love a good view. But in parts of some cities (such as San Francisco’s Union Square area), I ask for a room without a view: an inside room, often with a window onto an unused inner courtyard. It may be boring, but it is wayyyyy quieter! This is not as critical if you can be 14 stories up, perhaps. But it is worth considering. If you have to work in your room, this can also help your concentration.

In Part 2, I will conclude by describing how I find the hidden gems (and what to do with them) and include some useful links for your own search processes during the upcoming fall travel season.

—S. Anne Montgomery
editor in chief, BioProcess International