Gov. rate and ID question regards hotels

[Anonymous]

If you are a government employee or government contractor, depending on hotel policy you can get the government rate for business or leisure. You are not eligible for the rate as a spouse or a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are a government employee or government contractor, depending on hotel policy you can get the government rate for business or leisure. You are not eligible for the rate as a spouse or a child.

Most hotels don't allow a gov't contractor price when I've looked as my husband is a contractor.

If OP is military and has a military ID, some hotels will allow dependents (spouse and child) to use the military discount. Some require you to be on official travel and others allow leisure. Most people don't know the difference between a dependent ID and active duty/retiree ID who work at hotels, stores and more. A few times we've been told that generally the military discount is for official travel only but they've given it to us (usually I check in with my ID as a retiree dependent but my husband is always with me). Children get the same benefits if they have an ID. I see people screaming for the discounts all the time at places like home depot or lowes when they only allow those with actual ID's (so retirees or active duty, not veterans) and not everyone is eligible for the same discounts, especially Veterans. Veterans like to scream the loudest which is funny as many only serve a few years. Rarely have an issue as retirees.

Often the military discount is different from the government discount so OP could be asking for one vs. the other and not eligible.

[Anonymous]

I am a government employee and never thought to abuse the discount rate for personal use.

That said. Blame it all on Trump that you can no longer scam the system. He got Americans to hate government employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm calling troll.

No, just entitled and not that bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rule is that you need to be traveling for business.

This. Official business only. You may or may not have orders but the government rate at hotels is only supposed to be for work-related travel (i.e. The kind you get reimbursed for). It is your responsibility to know this. The hotel employees may not know all the rules but you are supposed to. Otherwise you are misrepresenting yourself and falsely taking advantage of a government benefit. Hopefully you are not also misusing your government travel card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The rule is that you need to be traveling for business.

This. Official business only. You may or may not have orders but the government rate at hotels is only supposed to be for work-related travel (i.e. The kind you get reimbursed for). It is your responsibility to know this. The hotel employees may not know all the rules but you are supposed to. Otherwise you are misrepresenting yourself and falsely taking advantage of a government benefit. Hopefully you are not also misusing your government travel card.

This is wrong. Many hotels allow government employees to use the government rate for personal use. However, it's up to each hotel. Check out Marriott or Starwood websites and you can read about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The rule is that you need to be traveling for business.

This. Official business only. You may or may not have orders but the government rate at hotels is only supposed to be for work-related travel (i.e. The kind you get reimbursed for). It is your responsibility to know this. The hotel employees may not know all the rules but you are supposed to. Otherwise you are misrepresenting yourself and falsely taking advantage of a government benefit. Hopefully you are not also misusing your government travel card.

This is wrong. Many hotels allow government employees to use the government rate for personal use. However, it's up to each hotel. Check out Marriott or Starwood websites and you can read about it.

+1

Precisely.

Those hotels that limit the government rate to business travel will state so in the rate policy.

For example, Marriott:

http://www.marriott.com/File%20Blocks/US/Deals/chart.htm

Note: At most Marriott hotels the government rate is available to eligible guests regardless of whether they are traveling on business or pleasure. However, some hotels may only make the government per diem rate available to guests traveling on official business. Please check the hotel’s rate description for details. If the rate description states that the rate is only for guests traveling on official government business, please be prepared to present travel orders when checking in.

[Anonymous]

The only hotel I've ever had ask to see travel orders was at and operated by a University.

Requesting the discount for non government employee family members is over the top. I think military families are so used to getting discounts everywhere that they feel entitled to it, like OP.

[Anonymous]

oP - hate to tell you, but at 18 your DS could get his own "government ID." It's called enlisting. At his age, you stop riding daddy's coat tails if you want perks in life and start earning your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only hotel I've ever had ask to see travel orders was at and operated by a University.

Requesting the discount for non government employee family members is over the top. I think military families are so used to getting discounts everywhere that they feel entitled to it, like OP.

+1. Op is the definition of entitled

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DS didn't just show up. I always call ahead before making the reservation and ask about the rate and their age policy. It has never been an issue and I am very honest about the reason for travel, and so far it was always fine with all hotels, apart from this one. Hence my question.

I'm glad you were finally caught. It's dishonest to have your son traveling on the government rate when he's not a government employee. It's the same as having him stay under the AARP rate. You're obviously NOT as honest as you think you are or you don't understand the difference between your DH

and your DS.

Bottom line - the government rate is for government employees. Not relatives of government employees!

You sounds like a profoundly nasty and unhappy person. How can I be caught when I always tell the hotel why we are traveling when booking, always with hotel direct over the phone? I've told many times, we are coming for a sporting event, or for fun and they always say, yes I can use my Gov Id, even without DH.

You can be caught for checking into a hotel under the government rate when you're not a government employee. It's fraudulent. Would you check in and try to use the senior rate when you're 20 years old?!

NP here. DH used to be military and I had a military dependent card. I often booked hotels for leisure without DH when he was deployed. Never had a problem. He would obviously be traveling with us if he was not deployed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DS didn't just show up. I always call ahead before making the reservation and ask about the rate and their age policy. It has never been an issue and I am very honest about the reason for travel, and so far it was always fine with all hotels, apart from this one. Hence my question.

I'm glad you were finally caught. It's dishonest to have your son traveling on the government rate when he's not a government employee. It's the same as having him stay under the AARP rate. You're obviously NOT as honest as you think you are or you don't understand the difference between your DH

and your DS.

Bottom line - the government rate is for government employees. Not relatives of government employees!

You sounds like a profoundly nasty and unhappy person. How can I be caught when I always tell the hotel why we are traveling when booking, always with hotel direct over the phone? I've told many times, we are coming for a sporting event, or for fun and they always say, yes I can use my Gov Id, even without DH.

I disagree. If the OP speaks to someone at the hotel and asks "may I have the government rate" and the hotel agrees, then there is no harm. As long as the OP is prepared to answer "no, it's not government travel and no, I'm not a government employee traveling for business," and accept the rate consequences, there is no foul.

I have asked if there is a better rate the hotel can give me, including the government rate, even when I've not been traveling on US government business. If they say "sure," have I done something wrong? I have had desk clerks say "sure" and I've had others ask if it's government travel; when I say "no," they've said, "sorry, I can't give you the government rate, but let me what else we have available." If the hotel is looking to fill an empty room, they can do so at whatever rate they choose.

[Anonymous]

I work for the man, AKA the government, and we are told that you are not supposed to request a government rate unless it's official travel. Sure you can do whatever you're comfortable with, but I would feel pretty dumb arguing for a rate that I'm not officially authorized. Usually the government rate is that same as belonging to a reward program anyway- i.e. gov. rate is the same as Hilton Honors rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for the man, AKA the government, and we are told that you are not supposed to request a government rate unless it's official travel. Sure you can do whatever you're comfortable with, but I would feel pretty dumb arguing for a rate that I'm not officially authorized. Usually the government rate is that same as belonging to a reward program anyway- i.e. gov. rate is the same as Hilton Honors rate.

I work for the government as.well.and I would feel very very uncomfortable using my CAC.to get.personal lodging discounts. Thin line and easy to get caught.

[Anonymous]

My office guidance is exactly the opposite as long as the hotel allows the government rate for leisure travel it is fine.