Travelers look to familiar names in hotels for comfort and peace of mind when traveling, whether it be abroad or domestically. The Hilton, The Marriott, and The Radisson hotels and resorts are three different but similar lines of intercontinental hotels that first come to mind when booking a hotel whether it is for a business related stay, a romantic getaway or for a family vacation. Travelers are comfortable booking these hotels for themselves and/or for others since they are all renowned worldwide for their excellent service, locations, and amenities, however these hotels can be deceiving when it comes to how they price certain rooms in particular destinations.
Most travelers assume that a hotel's cost in a major city will be about the same as a similar hotel in another major city, but this is not always true. Hotel pricing is not always based simply on the type of room and amenities requested, rather it depends on a wide variety of factors including the country and city where it is located, location of hotel within a city, the time of year, the day of the week, the length of stay and of course the currency that it is being used to pay for it. This means that even if you are booking the same room and receiving the same amenities on the same day at the Hilton in New York City, Paris, and Beijing, you can expect to pay three comparatively different prices.
Not to worry! There is pattern to the way these hotels are priced and a way to make sure you get the most out of your money. Domestically, regardless of the location within the city, these hotels tend to be similarly priced since everyone is paying in US dollars. It would severely hurt that city's economy if hotel prices were significantly more in comparison to other similar cities.
In Europe however, it is a completely different story with these same hotels like most other things being much more expensive for people paying in US dollars. For example, in major U.S. cities a standard room at the Hilton that sleeps two people on a Friday night in July would cost an estimated $200.00. That same room in Paris, Barcelona or Rome would cost around EUR 270.00 or around $350.00. It is of course high travel season right now in Europe and even though the Euro has been slipping against the dollar it still is worth considerably more, enough to make a trip to Europe during the summer months cost a fortune for those of us paying with US dollars. Some people would wait for the dollar to rise have a great time while saving money. Unfortunately, this has not been the case since the end of 2002 and while everyone is "waiting" to make the trip, the cost of traveling to Europe has gone up more than thirty five percent. An option to consider is making this trip in the winter months when prices are down and tourist season is at its minimum. Not only will you get a great deal on a hotel room, with prices ranging at The Hilton and Marriot resorts from EUR 150.00-230.00 from November - February for a standard room in cities such as Paris and Rome, but you will also get good deals on plane tickets and other expenses.
Asia is another popular vacation spot for American tourists and depending on your destination you can usually get a good deal regardless of the season due to exchange rates in our favor. Beijing, China has lots to offer tourists on top of the fact that the US dollar significantly outweighs the Chinese Yuan. At the peak of tourist season a room at The Hilton in Beijing would cost about CNY 970 which converts to be about $120.00. Thailand has similar deals to offer with an extremely different, but just as beautiful atmosphere. Tokyo, Japan is a popular destination for tourists and even though it is one of the most expensive cities in the world, Americans can find accommodations for about the same as they could in New York City thanks to the exchange rate of the Japanese Yen.
Destinations that can always be counted on for a good time and paying for your hotel won't empty your bank account are places such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Bali. These are places that travelers can depend on for less expensive hotel stays at these same well regarded hotels. The cost of living is also lower in these places so other expenses will be less as well.
