Me

n/m

Ishoo

Supposedly the maximum rate a hotel will/can charge for a room. It is EXTREMELY high and I have never been charged the rack rate. However, here in the Tampa area the hotels charged more than the rack rate during the super bowl. Special event I suppose.

Surlok

Rack rate is the possibly highest rate at a hotel, the one without any discount, or promotion, the one you get when calling the hotel directly, the one you're quoted when checking in to a hotel where you arrived without reservations. <BR> <BR>Some hotels, mostly the bigger one, belonging to big hotel chains, might have around thirty types of rates, from which rack will be always the highest. <BR> <BR>Tour operators or booking services do have special negotiated rates, or there are group rates, or low season rates, or corporate, you name it. Small hotels usually have just rack rates for high season, and some have promotional rates when their occupation rate is too low. <BR> <BR>

ron

You never should be paying rack rate unless you have no choice - all hotels are booked-up or you just have to stay in a particular hotel at any cost. hotels, especially the chains and large ones, have layers of prices just like the airlines. You just need to be persistent, ask for their "weekend rates", "breakfast-included rates", "great rates", "breakaway rates", "best rates", "AAA rates", "AARP rates", and on and on. You'll be surprised at the variations. Always pay less than rack rates, though!rates, Rq:";

Ed

Rack rate is the "standard" rate for the room. In the US it's rarely the common charge for the room ... but that's most rooms, in most hotels. There are lots of exceptions. <BR> <BR>This is the Europe forum, though. In Europe you'll find the rack rate and the "rate-most-commonly-charged" quite often the same, particularly in tourist season. That has to do with business practices, and occupancy rates. <BR> <BR>There are weekend rates in major cities, but they're commonly published. There are off-season rates in resorts, but they're virtually always published. There are less-desirable-room rates, but they're usually the lowest rates quoted. There are rates for tour groups, but you have to be on the tour to get advantage of those. <BR> <BR>In short, you can, and perhaps should, ask if discounts are available. However, don't expect them. Anyone who tells you that you should never pay rack rate in Europe either wants you to stay in one of the slums they call a hotel, or they own stock in the telephone company as they want you to wear yourself out making phone calls trying to find a discount in a desirable hotel. <BR> <BR>twenj

Sheila

For illustration:- <BR> <BR>If I phone a hotel to book a room, unless it's offering a deal, I would expect to pay the rach rate. <BR> <BR>If I turn up at a hotel after 6pm at night, and ask for the rate, my response will always be. "That's a bit more than I budgeted. Can you do better?" I would expect to get at least 20% off. If they say, how much did you have in mind, I will usually give them a figure £10 less than I DID have in mind, and then pay what I did have in mind in the end. <BR> <BR>Do not try this in B&Bs. That's not how they work. <BR> <BR>Any package for a period longer than 2 days should be at a rate better than the rack <BR> <BR>

lambert

the rack rate is the money charged to be placed on a medieval rack and streched 2-3 inches. not many return heheheheheh