Hello,
I am interested in booking a hotel that is listed in the RS' Italy 2014 guidebook. It says 150 euro/night, which is cheaper than the online booking sites I've seen. Has anyone had experience booking a hotel with the RS' guidebook discount? Should I call ahead and book direct, expecting a discount by telling them I have the book? Or do you get the discount when you pull out the book at the front desk after booking it?
Thanks,
Greg
Several issues - not all hotels in his books give a discount. Generally there is a line in the description of the hotel that refers to the discounts available. Generally that discount is for payment in cash. Keep in mind that 150 in his book may not be accurate. The information in tour books, all tour books, is always a little dated and the price could have increased after the book was published. I always book direct, indicate I have the RS book, and always as for cash discount on checking in.
Greg, which hotel is it? Perhaps someone else has experience with that specific hotel. And Frank brings up a great tip: Always ask if there is a cash discount. If you don't ask, they can't say yes.
We got the RS discount at the Smeraldo in Rome. You have to book directly with them and ask for it. They said I would have to have the book with me, but never ended up asking for it. Also, got a free drink at a restaurant in Sorrento just by mentioning the book and that RS said they would, the never asked to see the book either.
This guidance is based on my own experiences last fall:
1. Only expect a specific RS discount if it is actually mentioned in the description of the hotel or B & B in a current RS travel book; of course a hotel may also offer other discounts for early booking, cash payment, several nights, prepayment without right to cancel, and they may or may not allow use of various discounts stacked on top of each other.
2. Check out the hotel's reviews, availability and rates on sites like booking.com, tripadviser, etc.
3. Then go to the hotel's own web site and check what it says about availability and rates, which might be the same or different than what the booking sites say. The hotel will usually list any generally-available discount for prepayment, early booking, etc. but probably will not mention any RS discount. Sometimes you need to contact the hotel or B & B to ask about availability and rates, using their web form or e-mail, so do that.
4. At this point, I would send an e-mail saying something like: "I will be visiting your city for x nights, on these month and dates, and your web site (or booking.com, etc.) lists a rate of xxx euros per night. I will be traveling with my Rick Steves travel book, which mentions a special discount of xxxx at your hotel. Does that mean my rate would be xxxxxx, and how should I reserve a room at that rate?" Personally, I always add a couple friendly comments to establish something of a relationship, which is almost always clearly appreciated.
5. Then wait for a response and do what they say. Most are used to questions like this, know you want their best rate, and have someone who can respond in English without any problem. Print out and take with you some e-mail record of the message confirming your reservation and rate.
I did that at 2 or 3 different hotels for last October, and it worked fine. All were positive experiences. I don't think that any of them actually asked to see my RS book.
Good luck!
I have never found the hotel discounts worth the bother of needing so much cash, but that's me. The last time I took a friend to Rome, and they offered her the cash discount, which added up to a whopping eu15 -- and resulted in us needing to replace it through many trips to ATMs. Unless it's a significant discount, I'd rather find savings elsewhere.
Of course, the prices in RS books can be higher, especially for travel in season.
Hi
Yes you need cash, we arranged all our bookings direct via email so mention you got their hotel/B&B out of the RS books and ask for any discount. Never had to show the book. regards
I don't believe there is a single answer that covers all hotels. The RS guidebook named a hotel in Sorrento that offered a 15% discount for 3 nights and cash and the book. We literally had to pull out the book for them to see when checking in and also paid cash upon check in. As has been said, you need to ask. Have a great trip.
You might check if an e-book qualifies, I remember reading somewhere that a hotel would not accept the e-book version for a discount, but hopefully the e-book is becoming more widely accepted.
