So here is the breakdown and things to note. Going direct is your best overall deal when you look at price and cancellation policy. Priceline is the cheapest by a dollar and they have no cancellation fee but notice that you have to cancel a whole 3 days early. Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity all have the $25 change/cancel policy. This is a pure profit charge for them for no matter when you change your plans.

This is for the Hilton Garden Inn at the Albuquerque airport for a one night stay in the month of February.

• Hilton Official Website: $125.24 No cancels fee up to 6pm on day of arrival.
• Expedia.com: $128.78 $25 cancel fee is mentioned up front.
• Hotels.com: $126.58 You have enter your information before finding that there is no cancel fee until 6pm local time on day of arrival.
• Orbitz.com: $128.51 $25 cancel fee before 12am local time (essentially the night before you arrive) on the day of your arrival. Full charge if canceled on day of arrival.
• Priceline.com: $124.41 It is mentioned up front that there is no fee if canceled three days before arrival. Whole night’s rate for fee if canceled on day of arrival.
• Travelocity.com: $127.50 $25 cancel fee before 12am local time (essentially the night before you arrive) on the day of your arrival. Full charge if canceled on day of arrival.
• AllStays.com: We link to the hotel direct on our city page, so you can always go directly to the hotel website and get their rate information and book online or call them on the phone. In our online search box, we partner with Travelocity.com so we have the same rate as they do. They also impose their same $25 cancellation fee that we despise and get zero of it.

So we may not make any money off from linking to Hilton Garden Inns directly or providing the phone number, but it is simply the safest and best deal to have your reservation at the front desk. As a traveler, it’s the thing to do. It’s not costing you more than the self called bargain websites and the cancel policy is much more friendly as well.

What do you think and does this kind of information change the way you think about booking travel?

Imagine a restaurant charging everyone for drinks and desert whether you wanted it or not. The steak is $30. For $5 more you can have it on a plate. Or maybe one that charges for silverware to eat your food. Sounds pretty outrageous doesn’t it?

Most of these extra hotel fees are hard to find ahead of time. Most of us compare room rates, online or over the phone, when we are planning a trip. These fees are not usually brought up by the hotel unless you ask. Or they are in fine print buried on a web page you probably won’t ever see. You may think you are getting a deal by $20 a night and wind up paying $50 more for your stay than another hotel on your short list. It’s a sneaky way for hotels to act competitive when they are not. Some blind offer type of travel websites are also dealing with problem. You accept the risk to take the lowest rate without knowing the name of the hotel and you are happy until checkout and get the bill. Sometimes it’s included in your end total and sometimes you’re just rudely surprised. They may as well add, “and don’t ever come back!”

Here is a recent example of planning a business trip near a convention. Both hotels were within walking distance of the convention center.

A Marriott brand:

• Room rate: $329
• Parking: $15
• Internet access: free
• Breakfast: free

Pre-tax total around: $344

A Hilton brand:

• Room rate: $319
• Parking: $21
• Internet access: $10.95
• Breakfast on your own, room service or restaurant: estimate $10-15

Pre-tax total around: $361

If you just went by the big bold room rates that came up in searches, and made your decision on price alone, you would have paid $17 more for the one that you thought was $10 less. If it was a hotel that had a resort fee, the difference could have been another $25 or more.

Hotel Resort Fees

This is one of the worst and most costly fees that hotels have levied onto their guests. The more expensive the hotel is, the more this fee tends to be as well. These fees crept into the marketplace before Sept 2001 and then mostly disappeared afterward when travel and business went down. Then they slowly became more common again, adding fees for other things as well.

Sometimes they don’t tell you what the resort fee is for and other times they produce a whole list of things like the pool, the newspaper, in room coffee, fitness centers, maybe free local calls or just the ability to use your own calling card without a surcharge. With cell phones today, the profit on in-room phones has probably plummeted.

In my opinion, these should be optional or ala carte. If you don’t use the pool, the fitness center and all the other stuff they list, then you should be able to refuse that charge. “I want the bed only rate.”

Parking Fees

This is considered normal in most larger cities or downtown areas. I can understand valet charges but self parking is only a few dollars less at many places. So instead of just charging a nightly rate and including a place to park, they charge you another $20 for it. We won’t even get into why hotels never include directions on how to get into the parking garage on their websites. Half the time, the garage is on some side street around the hotel. Mix in a few one-ways and no left turns and you’ve taken an extra ten minute tour of the area. They probably want you to get stuck in the valet line first and not have a choice. “Oh, I don’t want to wait a half hour for the car, let’s just eat in the hotel lobby restaurant.”

Internet Access

Internet access in hotels should be nearing the concept of the color television. It should be a free amenity in a hotel room. But it’s not. Unless you see the word free with it, there is probably a charge for it. If you see “internet available”, it’s a charge. Hotels are sneaky too in how they list it as a room amenity leading you to think it’s free. You don’t know the fee until you arrive. Hilton is an example of this phrasing. When you see nominal charge, it’s at least $10. So for the average short hotel stay, you’ll pay more than your entire monthly internet bill at home. At the extreme, I was at a Sheraton in Germany that wanted $48 (after the euro-dollar exchange rate) for a night of internet access. It is still common to find hotels charging $10-20 for this access.

Tip: If you travel much, invest in a cell data card for your laptop. You’ll save money after a few hotel stays and have internet access in all airports and hotels without fees. Or maybe a group of employees can share one for various trips to reduce the cost.

Hidden Revenue

In many places, taxes are different on the room rate than on all these surcharges. They may even have their parking garage under some other little company name paying a lower tax rate than the big brand name. These tricks can hurt the local and state economy as well. We’ve seen hotels even charge $5 for their fancy new TVs, again not something you can refuse and it’s not listed in the room rate that attracted you.

How to find the fees

The room rate is about the only thing that is commonly shown. The big travel websites don’t show the fees and to be fair, in many cases it’s because they don’t know about them. You can try to inspect the official website, which we link to directly (no other travel website does this) but you still can’t always find the information. We could put a long list here of hotel websites that charge fees but don’t show it on their website. For example, we know there is a parking fee for hotels in San Francisco or New York City but we wish you luck in finding it on most of their websites. The hotels just don’t want to put a $30 parking fee or a $12 internet access fee in plain view on their beautiful website.

When you ask about fees, try to be as general as possible. If you ask about resort fees, they may say no. Later you find out it is a “facilities fee.”

Complain Loudly

Most people do not complain. They pay the bill and then complain to everyone they know and on online review websites like TripAdvisor. The hotel loses potential customers and gets a bad reputation in numerous small circles. If you do complain, you may be able to get the charges removed from your bill.

What kind of crazy fees have you seen in your travels? Let us know and name the places here.

Which ones are consistently the best and won’t let you down? Just like the experiences we hear about we’ve probably all been to a great Best Western or a Holiday Inn and then to a terrible one. So what should you expect the next time you travel and book your favorite chain? If it’s a Four Seasons, you can safely expect a great experience. But not all of us can afford to stay there every time we travel. And even if we could, they may not have one near Grandma’s house. We need to have options and know what to look for in other cities. With some brands, you never know for sure. Many are franchises who just pay for a name and a sign. Then they are either sold or get a ton of bad reviews on TripAdvisor and change brands to start their reputation management anew. Does that statement go too far? We play what we like to call the “chain roulette” game and change individual location names on average between 200-300 times a month here at AllStays.com. And we checked into what we already noticed, over 80% of 2008 name changes were for hotels with a poor review record. The high end hotels do change occasionally but not nearly as often as when you go further down the list. If you don’t pay attention to addresses, you could book the same crappy hotel with another logo two years later thinking it’s a different one!

For the first time, we’ve taken just under ten years of reviews and comments that we’ve received and analyzed them. Here is our 2009 ranking of chains that have locations in North America with all direct links to the official websites. Extra Tip: You can bookmark this page it for the next time you need a complete list and don’t want to mess with searching around. You can also view all these chains alphabetically at our hotel chains guide.

1. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
2. Ritz-Carlton
3. JW Marriott
4. Sofitel
5. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
6. Loews Hotels
7. Embassy Suites Hotels
8. W Hotels
9. Omni Hotels
10. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
11. Renaissance Hotels & Resorts
12. Millennium Hotels and Resorts
13. Westin Hotels & Resorts
14. Marriott Hotels & Resorts
15. Hilton Hotels
16. Doubletree
17. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
18. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
19. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
20. Delta Hotels
21. Hyatt Place
22. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
23. Radisson Hotels & Resorts
24. Hilton Garden Inn
25. Courtyard
26. Four Points by Sheraton
27. Drury Inn & Suites
28. Holiday Inn
29. Homewood Suites
30. Staybridge Suites
31. Residence Inn
32. TownePlace Suites
33. Hampton Inn/Suites
34. Best Western
35. Holiday Inn Express
36. Clarion
37. SpringHill Suites
38. Hawthorn Suites
39. Quality
40. Howard Johnson Hotels
41. Candlewood Suites
42. Extended StayAmerica
43. Homestead Studio Suites Hotels
44. Fairfield Inn
45. Wingate by Wyndham
46. Country Inns & Suites
47. Comfort Suites
48. Sleep Inn
49. Baymont Inn & Suites
50. La Quinta
51. Comfort Inn
52. Microtel Inns & Suites
53. Red Roof Inn
54. Ramada Inn
55. Super 8 Motel
56. Days Inn
57. Motel 6
58. Rodeway Inn
59. Econo Lodge
60. Travelodge
61. Knights Inn
62. Americas Best Value Inn

Say no to extras

All of the waivers, insurance, extra options and special flower print paint job can add $30 a day to a rental. Some times these fees come close to the listed price of the rental itself. If you have your own auto insurance, you shouldn’t need any of these profit margin balloon items. Your credit card may also offer special coverage on auto rentals. Just make sure of what you have ahead of time. If you don’t have any of your own coverage, you may want to pay the ridiculous prices for these items.

Shop a few companies

You can divide prices into two categories. Those at the airport or the terminal and those that are away from the airport. You’ll save substantial money by leaving the airport. Just make sure to weigh in the factor of time and transportation to the rental place for your decision. Prices do vary among the rental companies. Be careful to see the final price. They often lure you in with one price while the final price is much higher with a bunch of hidden fees. AllStays does have car rental options when you book online and we have the same rates as the likes of Travelocity but it’s still best to shop around. We won’t say we always have the best rate. No one does all the time no matter what they may claim.

Check your memberships and benefits

Auto clubs (AAA), groups (AARP), store clubs (Costco, Sams Club), credit cards, your workplace all may have special deals with a car rental company. It’s worthwhile to check them out. If you still get some bills by mail, look through the junk they pile in there for car rental coupons and set them aside. I remember that I used to get a lot of them before switching to online statements.

Fill up the tank

This has always been a good way to overcharge you. If the rental company has to fill it up, they charge a premium for gas. Gas is already high enough without paying more for it. Look for the nearest gas station to the car rental office on your way out. Or use your GPS device to find it. Or take a moment to use online services like Gas Buddy or Google Maps during your trip. The closer you are to the return point, the more full the tank is upon return. Don’t fill it up twenty miles from the return point because you will pay for that gas again.

Follow the rules and fine print

Sympathy and leniency have gone downhill like the economy. Return the car on time and not a minute late to avoid fees and penalties. The companies would be thrilled to charge you for another day and have the car back  an hour late to rent it right out again.

Use your cell phone and call yourself in the future

No this isn’t science fiction. When you get your room number, call your cell phone with it. Sure it may be only three or four digits and not work, but it’s in your phone log (don’t do this if your room is 911). You may also do this with a taxi company, the address of the hotel or the hotel front desk as well so you have the numbers. Less things to remember after a few drinks late at night.

Take the cover off your bed

Hotels change sheets every night but how about that top comforter? Rarely. It could be weeks or even months, even in the nicest hotels. When have you seen the daily maid cart in the hallway overflowing with those heavy blankets? Probably never. The first thing to do in a hotel room is to carefully remove that cover and put it in a corner of the room, away from anything you personally own or touch.

Get two beds in your hotel room

Sure the king bed and all it’s pillows is luxurious and nice to sleep in but think about having a whole extra bed to spread your stuff out across. Maybe you need more work surface. Maybe you need more space to sort out your clothes and freebies from the conference. It’s like having a conference table in your hotel room. Rooms with two beds are usually the last to go too. So they are always available. Look at this fact like it’s a good thing. Be happy those king beds are sold out. Remember to pull the top cover off from both beds. No sense in putting a clean shirt on the dirty cover.

Stay at the conference hotel

So the host hotel is the most expensive one near your conference? It’s $40 more than this other hotel? Well, it is probably worth it. And it may even save you money. Are you going to take a cab to the conference each day? There’s $10-$30. Are you going to wait for the free shuttle? There’s an hour or more wasted. I’ve seen hundreds of people waiting in the cold for a 15 seat shuttle and it’s not pretty. Add in that time you forget something in the hotel room and have to run back. You also have to set your alarm earlier to allow for the transportation versus sleeping in for a short and leisurely walk down to the conference. If the hotel is hosting the event or is right next door, you probably won’t need a jacket like that other guy is stuck with all day. I arrive at the conference relaxed while other people look like they went through a airport security screening just minutes ago.

The convenience of being able to go back to your room quickly and easily is very valuable. You spend less time in transportation and more time networking or relaxing. Maybe you have a convention with those long breaks. You can either sit around the hall and waste time or run back to your room in a few minutes. You can easily drop off your tote bag or laptop or that nice vendor gift in your room before the evening mixer or a night out on the town. I’ve seen people drunk at parties at 10pm still carrying around their conference bag. It’s tiring. It’s embarrassing. It’s not secure. You may leave it somewhere or mess it up at a bar or in a bathroom. Others may take an extra taxi ride back to their hotel and then back to the conference for nightly events. There go the savings they thought they had.

Your boss just sees the hotel rate difference and you staying at a four star hotel versus a three star? Tell him about the extra taxi cost, the increased risk of losing company property or data and the added time you are spending learning all for the company. Don’t smirk while saying it. If you book early enough, their may be a group rate that makes it cheaper than many nearby hotels. Or another riskier tactic is to wait till the last minute when all other hotels are full and the only one available is the high priced conference hotel. I have done this successfully but there are many things that are totally out of your control and you could wind up at a fleabag rest stop on the dark side of the interstate.

Drink and eat often

Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Bring a few snacks along with you if you can carry them. Maybe its breakfast bars, protein bars, or zip lock bags of nuts. It’s good to have something that you like on hand if the conference food is bad or if your energy is dragging. If the food is provided, it’ll probably disappear quickly. I like to grab an extra banana or apple and also a juice or water to tuck in my bag. It’s a must have for those mid-morning or mid-afternoon breaks. I notice those envious looks around me when I crack into one when it’s still another couple hours to lunch or dinner.

Room service in the hotel is always a rip off. Even if you have to take a taxi to a store and buy your own snacks, you’ll be way ahead. One drink in the room probably costs you five dollars alone. If your room doesn’t have one, ask for a fridge. Most of the time, they can provide one for you. Then you can fill it up with your own drinks and snacks for the conference. Or maybe need it to keep some medicine cold at all times if they don’t want to give it to you (hint).

Bring a little bottle of hand sanitizer

If you are drinking lots of water like you should, you also need to use those conference rest rooms. They are not always the cleanest with all the traffic they are getting throughout the day. I always use my own sanitizer after using a rest room, any public surfaces and before eating. I also like to bring zinc logenzes to help keep colds away. I take a couple a day, especially while traveling.

Know when to tip and how much

We have the AllStays guide to tipping here but it’s important to mention here in brief. It’s good to know how much and when to tip. I like to tip a bit heavier at the start of a week or on the first drink of the night. This tends to get you better service the rest of the time. You may not tip as heavily throughout the conference but they don’t know that. And it may just benefit you in the end as well. Here’s an example. I buy a soda at the bar and it’s a dollar or two. If you leave a quarter or don’t tip at all because “it’s only a cheap soda”, you wind up having to pay for and probably wait longer for refills all night. Many times I’ve tipped the price of the soda or even a couple dollars more on the first one and then gotten free fast refills all night. It isn’t foolproof but it’s worked far more often than not. Then leave another tip as you see fit or when you leave. The savings have really added up by the end of the night, along with the extra sugar and calories because they probably refilled it more than you would have actually boughten that night.

Keep a copy of your travel itinerary

Always print out information for your flights and your hotel and keep it with you the entire trip. You can leave it in your luggage while at the hotel but make sure you leave it where it could be taken as trash either. This helps if there is any problem with your reservation or rates. You just show it to the person and it’s usually solved. And sometimes after a few days, you get your departure time mixed up with another trip you just had. It’s good to be able to look up the correct information. Going back to step one in this list, enter the airline, flight number and date in your cell phone as another precaution. If you lose all this information by the end of the week, you may want to cut back on the networking at the bar.

I know there are many great tips that I’m missing so please feel free to contribute yours here.