Every group wants to meet at the newest, nicest hotel in town. Unfortunately, that hotel typically costs a premium.
If you want to get the best product for your group, but also the best price, consider shopping around for hotels that are about to undergo a renovation, suggests Successful Meetings contributor Gino Caliendo, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, Northeast Florida's largest convention hotel.
"It's an economic reality that a hotel's rates typically rise after a renovation, especially an expensive one. However, if your meeting coincides with a period of renovation, it's likely that you can lock in pre-renovation rates," Caliendo says. "This can mean substantial savings for your organization, while also providing access to the new guest room product as rooms become available but at pre-renovation rates."
If you find the right property at the right time, you could secure like-new facilities for a bargain.