--- title: "How to Score Hotel Deals for Associations" id: "14603" type: "post" slug: "how-to-score-hotel-deals-for-associations" published_at: "2012-11-28T18:18:37+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:13:12+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/28/how-to-score-hotel-deals-for-associations/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/28/how-to-score-hotel-deals-for-associations.md" excerpt: "Are the holidays the best time for meeting planners to negotiate hotel deals? Plus: One association takes root with a big community initiative." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "hotel deals" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » How to Score Hotel Deals for Associations Choosing and paying for hotels can be a headache. There’s a dearth of options in urban areas, and you can look at thousands of hotel reviews [at your own risk.](http://associationsnow.com/2012/11/how-good-are-online-hotel-reviews-everyones-a-critic/) So how do you make that final decision, and *why* is the overnight stay so high? That and more in today’s Lunchtime Links: **Bargaining rights:**Meeting planners know that deals are sometimes just a phone call away. But are the holidays the right time to call up your favorite hotel general manager and try to haggle? [One blog says yes, absolutely (opens in a new tab)](http://tommorrison.blogspot.com/2012/11/leveraging-year-end-sales-bonuses-for.html) . It’s not just the giving spirit that might inspire them to give you a price break on a hotel block. Tom Morrison, CEO of the Metal Treating Institute, says that as the year winds down revenue goals are on everyone’s minds, and sales representatives are looking at year-end bonuses as well. Lock in a future contract to help them while they help you save on the annual conference. How have you leveraged end-of-year hotel deals? When do you think is the best time to check in with hotel executives? **Wallet worries:**When you do the math, it seems like renting an apartment in an urban area can be hundreds of dollars less per night than a simple hotel room. Ever wonder why hotel rooms can get so pricey? *Slate* [says there’s no single reason (opens in a new tab)](http://www.slate.com/articles/business/reader_takeover/2012/11/hotel_prices_why_urban_hotels_cost_so_much_more_than_houses_or_apartments.html) , but you can start by pointing a finger at taxes (New York City hotels tax rooms nearly 9 percent in state and local sales tax with an additional hotel occupancy tax, for example). Though the Big Apple is notorious for its high hotel rates, the article points out that, relative to the state, there’s not much difference in actual tax rate. Another reason? Mainstream hotels typically offer more amenities, which means that you’re not only paying for the room, you’re paying for the turndown service, the concierge, and the bellhop. What’s your strategy for pricing hotels in urban areas? **Seed money:**Getting the local community involved in an association’s latest initiative can be tough, but [one nonprofit is branching out (opens in a new tab)](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-statewide-campaign-launches----encourages-californians-to-invest-from-the-ground-up-181083851.html) (pun intended) to help their local parks and recreation. The California Urban Forests Council formally launched an “Invest From the Ground Up Campaign” with a [new website with increased educational and promotional content wells (opens in a new tab)](http://www.investfromthegroundup.org/) to encourage the local community (the campaign is set for five yet-to-be-picked pilot communities) to invest in their local parks. The nonprofit also has parked itself on Twitter ([@InvestinTrees (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/InvestinTrees) ) and on Facebook. “In all my years working on urban forestry, I’ve never seen an effort to raise awareness and support for our trees quite like this one. It’s injecting a fresh perspective and a compelling argument into the public conversation about how to spend our resources,” John Melvin, State Urban Forester for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said in a release. The campaign focuses specifically on creating engaging content in a consumer-driven way to raise awareness for the cause. Has your association used content or education to help an initiative? How did it help? Seen anything great online today? Tell us about it in the comments. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Chloe Thompson](https://associationsnow.com/author/chloe-thompson/) Chloe Thompson is a contributing writer to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/chloe-thompson/) Tags: [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#hotel deals](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hotel-deals/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F11%2F28%2Fhow-to-score-hotel-deals-for-associations%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !