Just because you are traveling with a rate guideline does not mean you need to just find a hotel that offers the government per diem or even if it is less than the government per diem. Do you research! If you are not able to go into the DTS system to search for a room you could always search www.fedrooms.com or www.fedtravel.com that has a list of hotels that are standardized to the regulations or procedures or are FEMA approved. I would do more research and if you are not familiar with the area but have access to the internet, check out this websitewww.tripadvisor.com search for the FEMA approved hotels that are listed as approval hotels and see what reviews say about this hotel. Also visit the hotels own website to see what they have to offer. This could be a really nice hotel or not so nice. The government is paying for it but what do they offer if you stay at their hotel. Is there a cost to use the Internet? What amenities are in the room? Is breakfast included? Gym? Rewards? What about a social hour so you can relax after a long day at the office in another town? Whatever takes you away from your home to home atmosphere would it be nice to come into a hotel that has that same feeling? I say take the little bit of time to do your research.
by Kimberly Hubbard