hotel room sharing?

[hapax]

I'm wondering if anyone on this board ever teams up with someone else (or more than one person) to split the cost of a hotel room. A room adds a hefty sum to the price of an SP visit, and having to pass only 25 to 50 percent of the full cost would make a big difference to the bottom line.

Any experience on this? Anyone interested?

hapax

 

[Ned Nobody]

I did it once. A friend had a room with a two beds, and he stepped out for dinner, allowing me to enjoy the unused one.

I suppose a room with two beds and a sleeper sofa would be ideal for lowest cost per hobbyist.

 

[hapax]

Here's what I was thinking:

I'm going to be in town for a couple of days in a week or so and will naturally be availing myself of Montreal's finest. I could book a room with two beds, letting two others (not at the same time, of course) use the room in exchange for splitting the cost with me. I would be out for a run, or dinner, or whatever. I'd ask one of the guys to strip the bed when he's done and I'd put my own sheets on when I got back. That way I'd be a good boyscout, plus save 2/3rds of the cost of the room.

Naturally this would only work for in-town members who'd like to save some money. I would want to limit it to few people (so that it wouldn't attract any attention), and I would want them to be members with at least a few posts under their belt. (I am fucking paranoid about LE.)

If I did this plan, I think it would make sense to go for one of the nicer hotels (Sofitel, maybe?).

Hapax.

 

[Special K]

Priceline

Hapax,

I suggest you try to book a 3* room through priceline bidding $30/night. I recently stayed at the Delta Montreal for this same rate using Priceline.

Decent rooms, but obviously not the same as the luxurious Sofitel rooms which I prefer, but for a decent rate they do the job. 4 nights for the price of 1 at the Sofitel.

 

[montrealfan]

Great idea

montrealrez,
That's a great idea, the society can regulate price and negotiate volume discount for members (hobbists). And if this society grows, it can be divided into chapters for each geographical location to facilitate Indy SPs who wish to travel without the sponsorship of an agency. The chapter can act as facilitator to coordinate scheduling and lodging for a discount.

Anyone interested should get together and have a drink to discuss. Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere close to Montreal and nor do I drink. :-(

But I will be in Montreal for 1 wk in late April and early May. Can't wait for that trip.

Cheers,
MF

 

[montrealfan]

Priceline

Special K, I have gone the Priceline route a few times, one has to have patience on the bidding process, but it's well worth the effort considering the savings.

I usually book 4* hotels in Montreal, and recently (last Nov), I was fortunate to have gotten Sofitel for part of my trip, that hotel is amazing, although the room is a bit crampy, but very luxurious. However, since I didn't get to choose the hotel at the time of bidding, Priceline included low quality hotel such as Hilton (Bon Adventure) in their of list of 4*, and unfortunately I was assigned to Hilton - a 2.5* hotel with a 4* pricetag, what a rip-off. How can you brand your hotel as a 4* if you don't even offer in-room Internet access?

Anyway, just a comment on Priceline and their screwed up hotel * classification system - you may not give what you expect.

Cheers,
MF

 

[babebanger]

Hotels

Why do you need to bring your own sheets?

Any decent hotel will have room service until at least 5PM when the maids shift is done, and most 4 star or above will have it until 10PM-they do 'turndown".

When I go on a hobby trip I book a afternoon delite for 2 hrs, relax, shower and go downstairs for a bite and drink and call room service to clean my room-I tell them a took a nap.

Then I have a after dinner rendezvous-sometimes go all nite.

I always stay at hotels with late chekcouts, wake up go for breakfast. As I leave for breakfast call for room cleaning.

Then i have my brunch delivered-about 10:30-11AM and check out by 2PM after showering and changing.

 

[Aquila]

Great idea!

Babebanger is quite right. Simply call for turndown and voilà... Of course it's available at places like downtown hilton, delta, sheraton center and the like...

Having a room with two beds is nice idea. Since I am from Quebec, when I travel to Montreal I usually stay at Delta centre-ville for a night or two and book my favorite escort there (as many as my budget will take!). I use one bed and sleep in the other. Leaving a bed for someone else disposal is quite a novel idea but I am sure it can be done. Please keep if posted if this idea catches on and becomes a reality...

A web site where hobbist could register and post their schedule and preference would also be great.... We could sollicited by new escort offering their services

Cheers and happy 2004!

 

[Special K]

Re: Priceline

Originally posted by montrealfan
Special K, I have gone the Priceline route a few times, one has to have patience on the bidding process, but it's well worth the effort considering the savings.

I usually book 4* hotels in Montreal, and recently (last Nov), I was fortunate to have gotten Sofitel for part of my trip, that hotel is amazing, although the room is a bit crampy, but very luxurious. However, since I didn't get to choose the hotel at the time of bidding, Priceline included low quality hotel such as Hilton (Bon Adventure) in their of list of 4*, and unfortunately I was assigned to Hilton - a 2.5* hotel with a 4* pricetag, what a rip-off. How can you brand your hotel as a 4* if you don't even offer in-room Internet access?

Anyway, just a comment on Priceline and their screwed up hotel * classification system - you may not give what you expect.

Cheers,
MF

Hi MF,

I agree totally with you in regards to lumping the Hilton in with the Sofitel and Vogue among their 4* choices in Montreal. No comparison at all, as a matter of fact up until last year the Hilton was considered a 3* on priceline and was being had for $35/night on many occasions.

I was recommending it this time because Hapax seemed to be on a limited budget and the Delta is a pretty nice, solid 3* hotel in my opinion, and for $30/night it's extremely solid!! This link has been posted in the past but it's an invaluable tool to bidding on priceline. http://www.biddingfortravel.com Make sure to read all the Hotel FAQ's or the moderator might snap on you a bit. Lol.

SK

 

[gohabsgo]

I think Priceline is just for U.S., but Hotwire is fine for a Canadian credit card. the Holiday Inn in chinatown was going for something in the $30's U.S. a while back

The Windam was also on hotwire for something in the $50's U.S., but it's now a Hyat Regency when I walked by the other day.

 

[spartacus]

share a room

well for me depends on what it would cost, and which hotel.
price for 4 hrs at ideal or chablis is 36.00 reg or 51.00 for a nice room with jacuzzi.
but if it was 36-40 to share a swanky hotel room with a clean bed for a few hours then may be interesting , I am not sure. If it was me I think I would have a diff time sharing my hotel room, unless it was someone I knew.


btw very interesting if I answer the phone when your wife or boss call and I think it is the sp/agency calling to confirm the room

spartacus

 

[Neptune]

Re: Hotels

Originally posted by babebanger

I always stay at hotels with late chekcouts, wake up go for breakfast. As I leave for breakfast call for room cleaning.

I'd like to book a hotel with late checkouts too, but don't know of any. Everyone I've been to have a noon checkout. Can you list a few please?

 

[Aquila]

to Joeblow...
It might depend on your hotel class.. check when booking. For instance at the Hilton Bonaventure you have to ask for turndown... Whereas at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC it's "de rigueur" nightly at 8 o'clock And they refill soap too!

 

[Jaxon]

Me & 2 friends each had a girl in a room in Manila @ the same time. The girls were uneasy @ first but once the lights were out it was okay . We didn't swap them out of respect, we know they woulnd't have been into that at all. I was furthest from the window and I'll always remember seeing the sillohuete of one of my buddys slipping into a girl doggy style as i was on my back sipping a cold San Miguel beer and getting sucked off. We lived like the Kings we were meant to be that weekend.

 

[babebanger]

Hotels

Sorry for the delayed answer!

1. I travel for business and am a Starwood gold member- 4PM checkout is part of that program. Includes Sheraton, and other top hotels. There has been consolidation in the hotel industry with 3 main groups.
Hilton-owns Embassy Suite &others
Starwood sheraton,Westin, etc
Holiday Inn-Crowne Plaza, & Intercontinental .
I distribute my stays to stay active in all programs.
Actually I got a 3PM check out at the Vogue by asking nicely. Bedding was completeyl changed twice a day

 

[gremlin]

competitive rates

To add to this general discussion, I have come upon a useful technique for booking rooms in montreal in offseason (right now for instance).

i have a friend coming in so i booked a room at the st. geramin for 230CN$. i recently saw that the vogue (a local competitor) has rates at 179CN$ for essentially the same type room. called the germain back, told them what their competitor was offering and they lowered the rate.

gremlin

 

[babebanger]

Vogue is at $139 now.
Has been since just before the Holidays!

Seasoned travellers know that big hotels have many many rates. Don't ever ask for the "corporate" rate-that is always the highest as corporate people travelling on opm don't care and bookanything.
If you call the hotel the longer you keep them on the phone and keep them searching for a rate it wil go down down down.

 

[hapax]

Hey guys,

thanks for all the info. The priceline tip in particular was helpful...I had assumed I would be out $150 or so for the room, which seems a waste to me.

Hapax.

 

[Johny 99]

Originally posted by hapax
Hey guys,

thanks for all the info. The priceline tip in particular was helpful...I had assumed I would be out $150 or so for the room, which seems a waste to me.

Hapax.

I have always gone up to Montreal with a friend, and we have shared a room. It was always a friend who didn't hobby, but was happy to go down leave me the room for a couple of hours a day so that I could have a guest.

I have also used priceline. I usually bid $50 US and get the China Town Holiday Inn. After parking nad taxes my buddy and I would pay about $30 a night.

As far as sharing a room with someone you meet on the boards, or any stranger for that matter, it is a risky proposition. It could be great, or it could be horrible. It's just a matter of if you want to take the risk or not.