Thread: I don't want to stay there - help!!

Yep, sadly have to agree with you all and am going to stick with it. Alex0683 i think the reason (other than $$) is that it is right next to the end client's office - although most of our actual work will be elsewhere. Willtravel, he definitely booked it himself, he has just started the office over here alone as part of a small international company. But Braindrain, its really not about the points at all this time - its about spending my...

What's the problem? Tell your client you're familiar with MEL, know a great hotel in a good location that costs just a dollar a night more, and suggest you both stay there. If he's OK with it, then he gets a nicer place to stay and you get all your benefits and points... and if he's not OK, then you've got yourself one seriously stingy client!

I think I would let it go this time. But maybe try to drop hints that you really know your hotel/points stuff on this trip and he'll entrust you to make the travel arrangements going forward.

I think that it is, in general, poor etiquette to dictate transportation choices when the client/business partner is paying, especially when changing after the fact. I have been in this position before a few times -- most recently, a firm flew me SFO-LHR on VS. It is painful to fly that far without getting status miles (at least I earned RDM on QR), and I could have used the UA miles (and upgraded to F), but I wasn't about to complain....

1st time client? Don't say anything. It's not worth the pittance in points to lose potential future business. While you're there, find out the real reason why your client booked this hotel. Next time, you'll be better prepared to gently suggest a "better choice".

Arrive late - hope its fully booked and that you get "walked" and then you can offer up the HI as the ONLY alternative!

I would also let it go, at least this time. On further trips, you can talk about it again and try to convice him of the merits of the HI, but not on this trip. It may be that there's something about the current hotel that you don't know yet - maybe he knows the manager, maybe he's got a non-refundable booking there, maybe his aunt lives down the street... Try to find out where there is an additional consideration there before...

I have to agree with the others who say not to protest at this stage. If it's a personal connection that makes your client want to book this hotel, it might be hard to determine that. I don't know if this applies to your client, but many places require the use of a corporate travel agency, and the great deals available to the general public don't seem to be available to them. In these cases, the company has decided that for...

I had a client a few years back that, for the first 3 months, pricelined all flights and hotels. While the hotels were generally nice, I finally got the courage to speak up about the flights after my 3rd 6a experience (departing from IAD when I was staying in Baltimore!). It turned out that the client was cool with me booking my own flights on their CC, but thought they were doing me a favor by relieving me of that task (little did they know...

Your client books your travel for you? Why? That's just odd. I'm not sure if that's the norm in Aussie, but if so, ask for a list of hotels next time that the customer would prefer and book yourself. The company I work for generally bills things with T&L included. That way, you don't have these kinds of spats and wasted time and the customer has a predictable price for the service.