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Hotels increasingly offer pre-pay discounts

March 18, 2010 | Hospitality Industry

Pay before you stay, and save. That has been the deal with online travel sites and discount tour operators. Now, an increasing number of hotels are slashing room rates if you ante up in full in advance and forego a refund if you don't show up.

The farther out you reserve, the more you save. Reserving more than two months in advance can result in savings of 40%; a month to two months beforehand, 30%; a week before, up to 5%.

“No refunds on cancellations, so this is truly a promo for the Vegas guest that knows for sure they are coming to town,” Station spokeswoma Lori Nelson says.

Properties run by industry giants such as Choice Hotels, Holiday Inn and Marriott are hopping on the pay-before-you-stay bandwagon to assure bookings in hard times. The Marriott Courtyard Gulfport Beachfront in Mississippi had a $103 prepaid room on a mid-March weekday, vs. $129 for a reservation that could be canceled.

Get the full story at USA Today

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