Just as you were ready to head home and enjoy the weekend, you get a call from corporate and you are now flying to Houston for a conference in the morning with an important customer. “That sounds great”, you think, “Houston is a happening city and there’s lots to do!” The next thing you think about is where you will stay at such short notice. Thank goodness the customer has a conference room and you will be meeting them in their offices, but you still have to find a place to stay for the weekend.
Corporate made it plain that a golf date with the customer was expected. The corporate budget team has to approve any hotel that costs over $100.00 per night, so without time to get approval, you will have to find a cheap, last minute hotel in Houston that you aren’t ashamed to tell the customer you are staying at, yet staying under budget.
A little research is required to find suitable lodging and lodging under budget. The city golf course could provide a game, or maybe the customer has a membership somewhere in Houston at one of the clubs. Remember to call their secretary and ask to set up a game at the customer’s club for Sunday afternoon. That eliminates the need for a hotel that has a course.
Here are some tips to find cheap last minute hotels in Houston, Texas that are clean, professional, and have a decent reputation.
- Call the better hotels and ask if there might be a room that has not been claimed by a reservation cancellation. They may have a room in your price range if someone has cancelled their trip.
- Often savings can be had with a corporate card that is used at the same chain of hotels on a fairly regular basis. Many times favored customers can get discount rates and top of the line service. Check into a corporate account through your budget office.
- Bed and breakfast establishments in the Houston area are often well within your budget. The historical homes of old Houston are some of the most beautiful southern mansions of the south. Very often they have one or two rooms that they have open for one guest for a weekend at a cut rate.
- Very often TripAdvisor on the net will be able to direct you to sites that have instant discount rates with a package for the weekend. Travelocity is another good site to go to in order to find cut rate rooms at decent hotels.
- Travel agents are the best people to contact for any sort of trip. They have packages that will get you into accommodations you will love at a price your corporate office will love. Travel agents buy up rooms in sectioned lots for vacations and other packages that they offer. The rates and services at discount prices are what draw customers to a travel service. Very often your best buy is through a travel agency. Even last minute arrangements are no problem for the seasoned professionals at a travel agency.
With these tips, take the time to make a few phone calls at the 800 numbers that are listed in the hotel section of the phone book. Many times the hotels have services just for last minute, cost effective lodging for weekend business travelers.
Houston Hotel Deals is a hand-picked blog covering the latest deals, discounts and hotel special rates from the Houston general area.
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