July 6th 2011

I was speaking yesterday about choices. It is very apparent to me this fact at where I work. I work at Hotels.com, and we find the lowest priced hotel rooms for our customers anywhere in the world. We have a guarantee that if you find the same hotel room, same night stay, same hotel advertised on any website at a lower price, we will match it or refund your money. It’s a great guarantee. But what is amazing is the different prices of hotel rooms around the world. I have booked rooms as low as $18.00 for the night, all the way up to an astounding $27.000.00 per night for a Suite in Dubai at the Al Burj Hotel! The average price of a standard hotel room in New York City is now well over $380.00 per night.

            For me, with three kids when we travel I like to stay in a room that runs about $80.00 to $100.00 max per night. As long as it is clean, safe, and is in the area I’m looking for this works. What do you need a hotel room for anyway? Well, it’s to sleep and freshen up. I usually stay at La Quinta hotels because they are clean and safe. You know what you get every time no matter what city you are in. they include a good breakfast for the family, what more do I need?

            But this is not what a lot of people need. They want more. They fell they need more. I used to be nervous when the price would exceed $500.00 per night in how to tell the customer this. Then I realized that my $80.00 per night is someone else’s $500.00 per night! It’s all relative to what you have. I routinely book customers for stays all over the world that exceed $3000.00 for their stay. I guess it’s the same old story. The have and the have not’s!