The federal government spends more than $2.5 billion on hotels every year. The Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) states that one lodging program, FedRooms must be given first consideration when Government travelers book lodging for government business travel.
FedRooms is the official government-wide, government-sponsored lodging program, in support of the President’s Management Agenda simplifying the lodging process for federal travelers and saving the government money.
FedRooms negotiates hotel rates on behalf of the federal government in markets where government travelers need to stay. FedRooms offer more than 12,000 properties in 3,300 cities across the world. Outside of the U.S. FedRooms has 1,276 properties in 612 international cities including Beijing, Paris, Singapore, Bangkok, Rome, Helsinki, Budapest, Panama, Sao Paul, Montreal and many more. Hotels in the FedRooms program are FEMA and ADA compliant, they have at least a two star Mobil Travel Guide or AAA rating, they accept government credit cards and other forms of payment and some FedRoom hotels have last room availability.
FedRooms guarantee that:
- Rates are at or below per diem
- Travelers can cancel a reservation until 4pm on the day of arrival without penalty
- No hidden costs or penalties are attached to the Rate
- No early departure fees for travelers who check out early
Government travelers are used to looking for a hotel at the government rate but should ask for the FedRooms rate because the FedRooms rate and the “government” rate are not always the same.
FedRooms Rates are negotiated specifically for federal government travelers.
- Hotels must agree to the program terms & conditions
- FedRooms will assist in holding hotels accountable
“Government” rates are unmanaged, and are determined by each hotel
- 15 percent of “government” rates are over per diem
- May have hidden fees and cancellation policies that add up to a bigger bill at checkout
As the federal government continues to spend a significant amount of money for corporate housing services each year, the General Services Administration (GSA) has added Long-Term Lodging (LTL) Services to its successful Schedules Program. Travelers looking to stay awhile can easily find featured GSA’s Long-Term Lodging vendors at FedRooms.com. Open to all government agencies, the GSA LTL contract vendors offer 30+ night accommodations. Travelers needing LTL can find featured vendors on FedRooms.com.
Introduced to government meeting planners in 2010, the FedRooms for Group and Meetings program has already provided market research for nearly 300 meetings and awarded nearly 10,000 room nights to FedRooms hotels. On the average the program provides nightly hotel rates at $11.26 less than per diem saving government meeting planners more than $47,000. The savings are significant and the process is simple.
Government meeting planners complete a questionnaire on FedRooms.com detailing group and/or meeting requirements. FedRooms reviews the submitted criteria and returns hotel responses to the meeting planner within 3-4 business days of the initial request. If the market research meets your expectations and you would like to continue with a more detailed conversation with one or more hotels, they provide the hotel manager with your contact information.
The top 3 reasons to take advantage of FedRooms for Groups and Meetings are:
1. Fedrooms for Groups and Meetings offers choices.
FedRooms for Groups and Meetings provides government meeting planners with access to nearly 12,000 FedRooms hotels in more than 3,300 cities worldwide. If a desired hotel is not in the FedRooms program, they will contact the hotel immediately, and if it meets criteria and is willing to participate, add it.
With more than 90 hotels chains represented and the flexibility to add hotels meeting travelers’ needs, planners have a variety of lodging options. And added bonus – all properties offer the FedRooms rate guarantee including rates at or below per diem, FEMA certified and ADA compliant hotels, not hidden fees, etc.
2. They do the research for you.
You tell them your group/meeting requirements, and they will send it to the FedRooms hotels within the selected area. They will look at the hotels that best fit your needs and provide you with a side-by-side comparison of the hotel submissions. Their market research includes hotel name, date availability, guest room rate, meeting room charges, estimated food and beverage costs and more.
3. It’s Free!
Their assistance in gathering market research for your groups and meetings is provided at NO cost to you! In fact, their service saves you both time and money.
The government has made environmental sustainability a priority, and FedRooms is working with its hotels to promote properties that have sustainable practices in place. Keep an eye out for FedRooms “green” icon when booking on FedRooms.com to assure they have good sustainability practices.
As you can see there are several benefits to requesting FedRooms when booking your hotel.
By: Crystal Horner
Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.