Raising expectations with prices

[Rod Hagen]

Hi Craig, good point. Please see #49 above.

[RM]

RE: POSTING PRICES

 

HAGGLING about hotel rates is definitely not tacky. The rack rate is the highest price the hotel will charge for a room. They nearly always have weekend specials, holiday specials, AAA rates, AARP rates, corporate rates, government rates, etc. that they will gladly charge you if you only ask. It's silly not to ask if they have a special rate.

[HooBoy]

RE: POSTING PRICES

 

Hi Rod,

 

1. I do not haggle for prices with escorts, however, it would be interesting to see how much their rates would be were they not posted on this site. A slow night for $250 escort -- $200 might just be better than nothing.

 

2. When I am making reservations with a hotel I find out what their lowest rates are and those are the ones I go for, because why should I pay $625 for a room when I can get it for much less. I think one of the posters sums it up succintly. It's the way hotels operate.

 

3. Call me tacky -- I've been called worst.

 

4. A fool and his money are soon separated.

 

HooBoy

Email: HooBoy@male4malescorts.com

[Barry]

RE: POSTING PRICES

 

Rod,

 

 

 

Virtually no one pays Rack rates anymore unless completely uninformed about hotel pricing structures or a walk-in at an "almost" sold out hotel (supply & demand). While I agree to loudly whine at the front desk about an upgrade would be tacky, reminding the hotel staff of your past and potentially future loyalty to their brand, is not. It's known as customer satisfaction and pays off for the hotel and guest in the long haul.

 

 

 

Corporate business travel has become far more "cost conscious" and restrictive than you might think. Many corporations negotiate private contracted discounts with airlines and hotel chains. You will never see those rates. Travel expense reduction flows directly to the bottom line which puts a smile on shareholders faces and keeps execs employed.

 

 

 

Many business travelers do have to pick up and fly at the last minute and do indeed pay outrageous airfares. A recent example is Chicago to San Diego RT. With 21 day advance purchase and a Saturday stay, I paid $254 RT. If I had to fly out that Monday and return before Sunday I would have paid $1,688 RT. Unexpected travel will command those kinds of airfares but the profit margin of business travel helps subsidize non-business airfare discounting.

 

 

 

On the "illegal" market impact on US escort rates, I have to agree with Craig. Legality does have a market impact. An agency with published escort rates in the Netherlands (where it's legal), converted to US dollars is $106/hour, $382/overnight and $700/24 hours travel (which goes down on day 2). "Killer Weed" also legal in the Netherlands, is considerably cheaper than it's illegal US counterpart (and better quality).

 

 

 

A better market comparison would be our neighbor to the north Canada, since it's on the same continent. Escorting is legal there and the rates are considerably lower.

 

 

 

All in all, this discussion leads me to conclude that for the consumer, legalizing a victimless crime would be of financial benefit. Maybe my company could negotiate a corporate discount. :-)

[Traveller]

Well guys, I guess I'm pretty stupid, but I always thought I was paying an escort a rack rate. Oh well. And yes, I haven't been to bed yet.

 

Later.

[Rod Hagen]

RE: POSTING PRICES

 

Barry, Hotels and airlines realised long ago that their REAL customers are the corporations that are picking up the tab.

 

The employee staying there neither pays for the room or the taxes on the room. The corporations get back the lion's share of the taxes they paid on the room earlier in the year as well as deducting the cost of the room and associated expenses as business expenses. The employee gets a room at the Dorchester, the corporation receives a generous upfront discount via their corporate rate and get most of the rest back come tax time, and the prices become artificially inflated. And therefore a manlike me, who can only stay alone at such hotels on his own dime, gets screwed.

 

For example, I have a friend in LA who works for Time Warner. She was put up at the Penninsula hotel for nearly one year now. Why wont T W ask her to find a nice condo for her long stay in LA rather than spend upwards of $350/day (corporate rate) for her suite? Because TW knows they'll get most of it back later on. But if I want to stay at the Penninsula here, or in Hong Kong, or NYC, I will have to pay the dumb rate, because companies like TW are more dependable than jerks like me. That sucks.

 

Considered luxury-oriented travel before corporate rates and Medical Conferences were common events. The room rates, and airline prices, were MUCH more reasonable, comparativel and they gave customer service to the REAL guest.

 

I like nice hotels, I like traveling, I enjoy fine dining. 30 years ago I might have been able to afford these things nearly as regularly as I would like without belonging to Ford Motor Company. Today, that is not the case.

 

You are both probably right about the likelihood of escorting being cheaper and better if it were legal. Therefore I am grateful that it is unlikely to become legit in the US in the forseeible future. In my own way I too am a selfish and irrational corporate-like entity. -Hagen

[Guest Nice Guy]

Not only is this the first time i have responded to anything in this room (if it is a room) but i find the topic of interest. I believe i have placed over a dozen reviews on this site. And i have to agree with the writer. Sometimes we settle when we shouldn't. I know I have just paid the bill even though I was not satisfied with the "goods". This is my fault and I should take the responsibility for it. I have been very lucky in my choises, with a great deal due to this site. However the author of this articule is correct in that we tend to settle for what we get. And just pay. I do know that there are a few gents with great integrity, you can count Matt in Vancouver as one, Mike Grey and Brett Silvers as well. But it takes time and money to weed these guys out. So i guess we have little recouse but to take a chance. And read the reviews.

[Guest Nice Guy]

RE: POSTING PRICES

 

I happened to have correspondance with Mr. Hagen this evening and realized I forgot to mention his name in my response to the articule. "Rod Hagen" is probably interchangable with the word pofessional hehasvery good points, if perhaps a lack of compassion for the less fortunate. I believe the time i saw him iaskedfor a "deal" and i believe he gave me a token jester.... which was all i wanted. Its one thing to have and spend money.... its something else to get ripped off because you do!

[HooBoy]

I really appreciate your contributions - the reviews - and also your coming out here to add to the discourse.

 

Rod Hagen is one of the most brilliant people around here and he's hot on top of that.

 

I have never met him and probably never will.

 

But I thank you both for the diaglogue exchange.

 

Meantime, I'm wondering if I stay in Motel 6, if can ask nicely for a room for $5, but I throw in $200 for the front desk manager who is a doll, if that's taky? ;-)

 

I'm very tired and this post will probably be removed by the webmaster as soon as he wakes up and goes into shock reading it.

 

 

HooBoy

Email: HooBoy@male4malescorts.com

[Guest Jake]

HooBoy, I assumed you knew we never thought you tacky. But here it is in black and white: HooBoy is a doll, has real class and couldn't be tacky if he tried. That's my opinion anyway. OK HooBoy? Now go to sleep!