Chances are that you and other team parents are booking rooms at hotels individually when traveling to a sports event or tournament. And the probabilities are high that you are satisfied booking online and getting the AAA discount of 10%.
But what if we told you that you’ve been paying too much?
Let me ask you a simple question. A basic law of economics is that the more you buy of a particular product, the less it will cost. The whole concept of Sam’s club and Costco was founded on this basic principle. Buy in bulk and enjoy lower prices.
So how come when you’re traveling with an entire sports team, you aren’t getting discounted group rates for hotels?
How much of a discount do hotels offer to groups?
The average discount at a 3-Star hotel is over 20% off regular prices. Other groups have gotten discounts as much as 70% off regular rates just because they booked as a group.
But, does every hotel offer group hotel rates?
We would say that 99% of all hotels will offer some kind of group rate if you are looking to book rooms for a team. We have relationships with 40,000 hotels across the country in just about every city you can imagine and they are all ready to provide group hotel rates.
But I am not the coach or the team representative. Can I still get group rates for the teams parents that are traveling?
You don’t need to be the coach or a representative of the team. Discuss the group rates with parents to see if they are interested in saving money (they’ll say yes). Alternately, you can put up a sign up sheet that says
Dear Parents,
We are trying to get group rates at a hotel near the [name of tournament]. The average group discount is over 20%. We will need at least 10 rooms to get group rates so if you are interested, please write you name below.
If you have enough parents interested, then it’s time to get group rates.
How Do You Get Group Hotel Rates?
It’s a simple process and it requires no phone calls or any special knowledge (And it’s free). Just fill out this group hotel rates request form and add the following in the comments section:
“We are a sports team that is traveling together for the [Name of event]. We will need to block rooms (courtesy room block with no attrition clauses) for parents, and coaches as well. We would like a hotel with an indoor pool, free breakfast, and free Wifi. Everyone will be paying for their rooms individually”
As soon as you submit the form, hotels in your desired city and price range will email you their group rates.
Discuss the hotel offers with other parents, and select a hotel.
How do we select a hotel?
Remember that price is not the only thing that matters. Make sure you look at what being offered in terms of amenities as well. If a hotel is asking a higher rate per night but offers a free breakfast, free WiFi, and has an indoor pool where the kids can hang out, then it may be worth the extra dollars per night. You will end up saving on breakfast and on WiFi fees that the cheaper hotels may be charging for.
Once you know which hotel is the right one, call them directly (we’ll even provide you contact information so you don’t have to go around looking for the sales office telephone numbers) and ask for a contract.
So you’ve learned that getting group rates for hotels is the best way to get discounted rates at hotels when traveling with a sports team. Now, let’s stop overpaying for those hotel rooms.
What Should I Do Next?
Get group hotel rates for your sports team.