Amtrak Reservation System

[TransitRider]

As you know, I am going on a long 2 day trip from ORL to BOS in few days and I was going to check for hotels provided on Amtrak.com and it came up to me that InterContinental BOSTON hotel one night cost me $950 a night so I checked their own website directly and I got $509 a night.

I assume Amtrak wants make profit by $400 a night more? Am I mistaken here? What am I missing? Why $400 more than the hotel's price on website.

Have any one of here did made a hotel reservations even car rentals with Amtrak train travel before?

Thanks

 

[battalion51]

Amtrak is likely acquiring "their stock" of rooms through a third party system like Pegasus or Galileo. Many times when one company sells for another company as a "travel agent" they use these systems to book the room. The hotels have the ability to control how many rooms they want to release to these systems and the rate structures they'll release them at. It is possible to manipulate the system so that people will do exactly what you did and book directly through the property. Most people don't realize this but pretty much ANYTIME you book through a third party vendor that company takes about a 10% cut of the rate. So for example, at work tonight I was selling rooms at a rate of $52/night + tax. If you book through me, my call center, or LQ.com I keep all of those $52. You book through Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Priceline, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets, or Travelscape I'll get $46.80. At a property like mine where the rates are so low that's not a big hit to the bottom line. But at properties where the average daily rate is MUCH higher we could be talking about a heck of a lot of money. This is why most hotel chains now guarantee the lowest rate when you book through their website. Lowest overhead costs of all the mechanisms. So I encourage EVERYONE, if you want hotel rates to stay low, book directly through the hotel you want to stay at.

 

[Tony]

... that InterContinental BOSTON hotel one night cost me $950 a night so I checked their own website directly and I got $509 a night.

$950 a night!

Even $509 a night is steep for a room. Or a roomette. :lol:

And maybe add to that $6.95/hr for WiFi.

Have any one of here did made a hotel reservations even car rentals with Amtrak train travel before?

I always make my Hertz car rental reservations, and get like 15-20% off Hertz own website's rates.

 

[Upstate]

Its just like booking airfare with the cruise lines, complete rip off. If you don't want to do your own research they will take advantage of that fact.

 

[Bill631]

It has been my experience that even today, with all the internet travel sites, etc., I have always gotten the best room rates for hotels by booking with the hotel directly.

I usually just pick up the phone and call the hotel and ask for a price quote.

I have never gotten a better price on hotels.com, orbitz, etc.

Just do a little research and you can often get good rates.

Bill

 

[haolerider]

As you know, I am going on a long 2 day trip from ORL to BOS in few days and I was going to check for hotels provided on Amtrak.com and it came up to me that InterContinental BOSTON hotel one night cost me $950 a night so I checked their own website directly and I got $509 a night.
I assume Amtrak wants make profit by $400 a night more? Am I mistaken here? What am I missing? Why $400 more than the hotel's price on website.

Have any one of here did made a hotel reservations even car rentals with Amtrak train travel before?

Thanks

I can guarantee you that Amtrak is not making a $400 profit. The last time I checked the hotel inventory is booked by hotels.com and I cannot imagine a rate of $950 for a regular room. I just checked their rates and found rooms at $359, so if you are booking for a few days out and a last minute booking, I can see the higher rate, but I certainly would not pay $509 for a room - no matter what property it is.

 

[diesteldorf]

It has been my experience that even today, with all the internet travel sites, etc., I have always gotten the best room rates for hotels by booking with the hotel directly.I usually just pick up the phone and call the hotel and ask for a price quote.

I have never gotten a better price on hotels.com, orbitz, etc.

Just do a little research and you can often get good rates.

Bill

I would probaby agree most of the time except Priceline may be a different animal. I've frequently been able to Name my Own price--$30-$45 for the CHICAGO burbs and been able to get 3-4 star hotels that are noramlly listed at $75-$80 with the hotel. Of course, Priceline is not changeable and non refundable when you name your own price..

booked the Renaissance--Providence, RI for 1 night while arriving for the Gathering. Got it for $67 tax included and the hotel was selling rooms for $179 before tax

It's great for CHICAGO because all of the hotels that I've won have always had free shuttles to the Metra stations.

The Renaissance is only a few blocks from the Amtrak station as well.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g6...ode_Island.html