If you didn’t catch it on our Twitter or Facebook, hotel rates across the nation are on the rise heading into the busy holiday travel season. With belts already tightened it looks like budgeting for travel expenses in 2012 will have to take a few developing hotel trends under consideration before booking.

Flee the fee’s
Most hotels have a standard resort and amenity fee that hovers around $20 per day. This makes sense given that guests are free to take advantage of the pool, sauna, or fitness centers at their leisure. However, more chains are implementing new, less obvious charges such as a “housekeeping surcharge.”

MSNBC reported that “Total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels are increasing from $1.7 billion in 2010 to a record $1.8 billion in 2011, according to new research from Bjorn Hanson, dean of NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Sports Management.”

So long shampoo…
Another interesting trend is the disappearance of those beloved travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that one usually expects to find in their hotel room. Individual bottles will be replaced with an automated dispenser on the wall. While this “green” trend is commendable, some might balk at other proposed initiative’s such as doing away with bath tubs in all rooms but suites.

According to another MSNBC report, the popular Marriott chain has begun “advising our newly built hotels to put showers in 75 percent of the rooms and bathtubs in 25 percent of the rooms,” according to Marriott spokeswoman Laurie Goldstein. “Our research shows that business travelers prefer showers to baths but families like the flexibility of a bathtub as well as a shower.”

There is a light at the end of the tunnel…a luxurious, homey, and comfortable light…
Last week we shared an article that took note of the increased happiness and productivity levels for business travelers when staying in furnished apartments or corporate housing suites due to the comfortable atmosphere and home away from home vibe.

Given the aforementioned trends towards higher fee’s and surcharges as well as a decrease in personality and standard amenities, perhaps it may be time to consider the benefits of booking a business stay with PCHousing.

Source: Gogreentravelgreen