Summer Hotel Deals in St. Louis MO

So I recently shared with you all my nightmare headache with Priceline.com and my attempt to save money that caused more stress than it did savings.  While the whole situation caused me stress, it was not enough stress to force me to give up my love for travel; it just forces me to look for new ways of saving money on travel. 

Today I am going to introduce you a few sweet family friendly hotel deals for the summer in St Louis, Mo. 

 

Holiday Inn St. Louis South

Holiday Inn St. Louis South is just minutes from the downtown area, but still gets you out of the hustle and bustle of the downtown…from a Momma’s perspective, that is a score.  The hotel’s amenities include an INDOOR and OUTDOOR pool…yes that is all caps for a reason, that is a must when you are traveling with little monsters like mine.  While I seldom travel with our dog Wheeler (because he as big as both kids put together) it is good to know that pets are welcome at this facility.  The Fitness Center, some of you may recall on my trip to Oklahoma I praised and raved the Holiday Inn in Downtown Tulsa for having a wonderful Fitness Center…well I will praise and rave this Holiday Inn also for having an Fitness Center…that is always at the top of my list.  FREE high speed wireless internet, some of you may say don’t all hotels have this…the answer is NO, I have been charged as much as $15 a night, just to be able to log on to the WiFi…OUCH, especially when have to have it for work.  On-site restaurant, I know those on-site restaurants can be a bit more pricey than the fast food joint down the street, but they are on-site meaning you do NOT have to get in the car and leave the building to grab a bite to eat…one more perk when you are traveling with monsters like mine! 

 Holiday Inn St. Louis South’s summer deals include:

      

• Book Early & Save rates- discount ranges from 15-20% off, requires a full deposit with a full cancellation penalty

• Special Offer- discount ranges from 5-10% off, requires a one-night non-refundable deposit

• Summer Promotional- this rate changes depending on the exact dates and does not require any deposit or cancel penalty.  It is subject to availability.

 

Hampton Inn & Suites St. Louis/South I-55

My love for this Hampton Inn begins with it being 100% non-smoking…sorry folks, my little man has a bit of an allergy, and it never fails we get a step to close and our eyes look awful…so Thank You Hampton Inn for being smoke free.  They also earn my seal of approval for having on-site a Fitness Room and pool…hey you have to wear those little ones out before bedtime.  They also have several kid-friendly amenities including children’s activities, children’s video rental, family hotel packages, and those extra things you are always struggling to pack (high chairs, cribs) well they have them on hand…just ask guest services.  Now to set this place over the top…guess what you get Breakfast on House.  Yep enjoy a free hot breakfast before you start your busy day in St Louis, MO.  Oh, and don’t forget the FREE parking..I know this is always mind boggling, but many hotels do charge for parking, but this hotel has free parking.   

Hampton Inn & Suites Summer Deals include:  

• Book Now and Save 15% with The Great Getaway - Don't settle for any getaway - make your next escape The Great Getaway. Save 15% when you book a stay at participating Hampton® hotels by July 23, 2012 for stays through September 30, 2012.

  Tips to getting Hotel Deals
Above is just two money saving deals for St Louis, MO, but if those two hotels are not in your radar here is some tips on saving money on hotels.

• Book Early

• Check Cancellation Policy- many hotels offer full refund if booked direct and cancelled before certain time.

• Check the hotel's website for packages and coupons

• Call the hotel direct, ask if they offer cooperate discounts...many offer employee and affiliate discounts.

• Look for hotels who offer attraction discounts..many offer an attraction package that will save you money on your visit.

• Look for Points Programs...especially if you travel frequently. 

• All else fails- I have had good experience with Expedia.com and Hotwire.com.  

Have a Happy Summer Adventure!

~Becky  

 Becky is the Missouri Traveling Mom, her blog site is Adventures Among Us. She not only shares a unique passion for traveling with her family, but traveling in Missouri. For more of Becky’s adventures find her on facebook Adventures Among Us, or follow her on Twitter @BeckyAdventure.

 

Priceline.com STRESSED Me Out

 

In mad dash last minute trip to St Louis, Mo this past weekend, I decided I would tryout Priceline.com.  I had heard great things about the website, and saving loads of money, so I gave it a shot.

Here is the scoop, Priceline.com does initially save you some major $$$$ off your hotel room, and you can score some pretty snazzy rooms.  However, you have NO SAY in the style of room you get, how many beds you have, or really anything to do with the your stay. 

My Priceline Experience…

A gal pal and I needed a last minute hotel room in St Louis for 2 Moms, 2- 8 year old girls, and 2-4 year old boys.  Simple we need 1 regular room with 2 beds, and we would prefer something a with a pool.  I skipped on over to Priceline.com found a 4-star hotel near Forest Park in St Louis for $45 a night, with an indoor pool….sweet!  So I thought!

In the fine print on Priceline.com it says:

  "All rooms will accommodate up to 2 adults. Requests for bed types (King, Queen, 2 Doubles, etc.) or other special needs (including preferences for smoking or non-smoking rooms) should be requested through your confirmed hotel and cannot be guaranteed."

Okay, I did read this, but my thought is you make your reservation, call the hotel and they will accommodate your needs!  Our needs were simple we had 6 people and needed 2 beds in our room. 

Well after 3 ½ hoursof being on the phone, talking to 2 different hotel managers, 2 different Priceline employees, my needs were accommodated at the cost of an extra $30.  We were upgraded to king suite, and they threw in breakfast in the upgrade, an unneeded add on, but better than sleeping 6 people in 1 bed! 

Cha Ching….there went my sweet bargain, I am now at $75 for the room, but it gets better!

Saturday afternoon we arrived at our hotel, get our room key, and head up to our room to discover after spending 3 ½ hours on the phone, agreeing to pay an extra $30 we are now in the EXACT type of room we requested.  A regular room with 2 queen size beds….but wait I had been charged $30 for my upgrade, so here we go again. 

After another 30 minutes of my time wasted, I was now refunded $10 of that $30 upgrade fee, but had no breakfast.  Well whatever, I was to the point I did not care what happened, Priceline.com had STRESSED me out! 

By the time I had checked out of my hotel, I truly saved $0, I paid $45 for the room, $20 upgrade fee, and $15 for parking….Hotel Cost = $80.  The same price as if I had booked the Drury who offered FREE Breakfast and FREE Parking.  

My REAL Thoughts on Priceline.com….

I think the concept of Priceline.com is GREAT, you can score terrific bargains, but it SUCKS for traveling with a family.  I will return to gathering deals elsewhere, using Tripadvisor or Expedia.com for family travel, and save Priceline.com for when I am traveling solo, or when the it is just the hubby and I.

I think Priceline.com could revamp their website, add in the option to note that you are traveling with kids, have a disability, or prefer non-smoking.  I realize that the idea behind Priceline.com is to get super sweet deals, but I did not get any deals if I had to continue to pay the hotel to meet my accommodations!   

Thanks Priceline! 

~Becky