LODGING

Lodging Guidelines

The travel rules require that the lowest available lodging rate be obtained when traveling on official State business (see Section 3000.410). To avoid problems when making reservations, checking in, checking out, completing travel vouchers, paying hotel bills, etc., employees should use the following guidelines:

· Hotels listed in the Preferred Hotel Listing must always be contacted first when seeking overnight accommodations. In general, lodging is only allowed at hotels which do not appear on the Preferred Hotel Listing if:

1) the rate offered is lower than the rates of Preferred Hotels in the area, or

2) there are no Preferred Hotels in the area in which lodging is required, or

3) the traveler is staying at a hotel while attending a non-state sponsored conference (see Section 2800.400 of the travel rules), or

4) a newly opened hotel in the area has agreed to offer a rate which is the same or lower than that of Preferred Hotels in the area.

· Exceptions to lodging rates may be obtained from the Governor’s Travel Control Board (see page 45 of this Update). Please contact your Agency Travel Coordinator for applicable procedures in your agency to request an exception.

· Many hotels in the Preferred Hotel Listing offer State rates based on room availability. Hotels are not obligated to always offer the “State” rate.

· Reservations should be made as far in advance as possible. Guarantee reservations when necessary. Ask the hotel about their cancellation policy. If you must cancel a reservation, do so before the deadline. If you make a reservation for several nights in succession, ask the hotel about their early check out policy. Some hotels charge an early check out fee (sometimes as high as $50.00/day in Chicago) if a guest checks out prior to their scheduled departure date.

Always show proper identification to prove state employment when checking in. Hotels will normally accept a state-issued ID card or the Diners Club Corporate Card as sufficient identification.

Confirm that the "State" rate will be received. This should be done when making the reservation, when checking in and when checking out. Remember, the "State" rate may be different than the "government" rate. The "government" rate, in many cases, applies to Federal government travel. Make certain the "State" rate quoted is within the maximum allowed by the rules contained in this manual. If working with a Preferred hotel, use this guide to verify the hotel is quoting the State's negotiated rate.

Carefully review the bill upon check out to ensure that the room charge reflects the appropriate rate and that no unauthorized charges have been added. For example, some hotels will automatically add a security charge or phone usage charge to your bill. If these services are not used, the charges should be removed before checking out.

· If direct billing, be sure all personal or incidental charges are paid when checking-out (i.e., pay movies, personal phone calls, etc.).

Be sure to obtain a copy of the hotel bill to attach to the travel voucher.

Preferred Hotel Listing

The Governor's Travel Control Board has negotiated discounted lodging rates with a total of 267 hotels. The Preferred Hotel Listing has been separated into five primary categories:

	AREA	NUMBER OF HOTELS
	Chicago Metro
	City of Chicago	49
	Suburban Cook County, counties of	63
	DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will

	Chicago Area Airports
	Midway	5
	O’Hare	7

	Downstate Illinois
	City of Springfield	22
	All other downstate IL areas	112

	State Parks/Lodges	9

Bed and Breakfast Properties

Travel Update #00-12 (dated June 16, 2000) announced that bed and breakfast establishments have been approved as acceptable lodging for traveling state employees. Although they are not listed in the Preferred Hotel Listing, employees may use these properties provided the rate offered is within the maximum allowed by the travel rules. Further information about bed and breakfast facilities may be obtained from the Illinois Bed and Breakfast Association by calling (888) 523-2406 or by visiting their website at www.go-illinois.com.

Hotel Services and Amenities

To assist travelers in selecting a hotel to fit their specific needs, a list of services has been included for each hotel.

Unless otherwise noted, all hotels listed:

· Accept all major credit cards including the Diners Club Corporate Card

· Offer non-smoking guest rooms

· Offer fully handicapped accessible rooms

· Offer use of a copy and/or fax machine on a fee usage basis

· Offer audio/visual equipment (fees will normally apply)

Payment Methods

Employees are strongly encouraged to use the Diners Club corporate charge card to pay for lodging expenses. Many hotels will not accept a direct bill voucher (C-13). Acceptance of vouchers is solely at the discretion of the hotel. If a direct bill voucher must be used, employees should confirm the acceptance when making reservations.

Tax Rates

Rates listed do not include applicable taxes. To assist agencies and employees in budgeting their lodging expenditures, current tax rates are included for each city listed. These rates are subject to change.

Energy Fees

Rates listed do not include energy fees or taxes that are being charged by some hotels. These fees are reimbursable.

Parking

Parking rates normally reflect self-park rates. These rates are subject to change.

Negotiated Rates

The negotiated rates shown are valid July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002.

Remember, hotels appearing on the Preferred Hotel Listing should always be contacted first when seeking overnight accommodations.

FISCAL YEAR 2002 PREFERRED HOTEL LISTING

CHICAGO METRO

Cook County

Tax Rate: 9%

ALSIP

Radisson Hotel Alsip

(708) 371-7300

Rates:

Single

$99.00

5000 West 127th Street

(800) 333-3333

Double

$99.00

Alsip, IL 60803

(708) 371-9949

Fax

Nearest Airport:

Midway – 8 miles

Amtrak:

3 miles

Restaurant:

On-Site

Courtesy Trans.:

Midway/Amtrak

Breakfast:

None

Meeting Cap.:

500

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

Indoor

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

193

Cook County

Tax Rate: 11%

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS

AmeriSuites

(847) 956-1400

Rates:

Single

$85.00

2111 S. Arlington Heights Road

(800) 833-1516

Double

$85.00

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

(847) 956-0804

Fax

Nearest Airport:

O’Hare – 10 miles

Amtrak:

N/A

Restaurant:

Nearby

Courtesy Trans.:

Local area

Breakfast:

Cont’l

Meeting Cap.:

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

None

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

114

Kane County

Tax Rate: 9%

AURORA

Comfort Inn

(630) 820-3400

Rates:

Single

$71.00

4005 Gabrielle Lane

(800) 228-5150

Double

$71.00

Aurora, IL 60504

(630) 820-7081

Fax

Nearest Airport:

O’Hare – 33 miles

Amtrak:

1 mile

Restaurant:

Adjacent

Courtesy Trans.:

N/A

Breakfast:

Cont’l

Meeting Cap.:

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

None

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

Comfort Suites

(630) 896-2800

Rates:

Single

$80.00

111 North Broadway

(800) 228-5150

Double

$90.00

Aurora, IL 60505

(630) 896-2887

Fax

Nearest Airport:

O’Hare – 38 miles

Amtrak:

N/A

Restaurant:

Adjacent

Courtesy Trans.:

N/A

Breakfast:

Cont’l

Meeting Cap.:

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

Indoor

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

DuPage County

Tax Rate: 11%

BLOOMINGDALE

Indian Lakes Resort

(630) 529-0200

Rates:

Single

$79.00

250 West Schick Road

(800) 334-3417

Double

$79.00

Bloomingdale, IL 60108

(630) 529-9271

Fax

Nearest Airport:

O’Hare – 17 miles

Amtrak:

4 miles

Restaurant:

On-Site

Courtesy Trans.:

Local area

Breakfast:

None

Meeting Cap.:

1,200

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

Indoor/Outdoor

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

314

Will County

Tax Rate: 13%

BOLINGBROOK

Comfort Inn

(630) 226-0000

Rates:

Single

$65.00

225 West South Frontage Road

(800) 228-5150

Double

$69.00

Bolingbrook, IL 60440

(630) 226-1111

Fax

Nearest Airport:

Midway – 22 miles

Amtrak:

N/A

Restaurant:

Nearby

Courtesy Trans.:

Local area

Breakfast:

Cont’l

Meeting Cap.:

Fitness Center:

Yes

Pool:

Indoor

Parking:

Free

Rates Apply to Local Governments:

Yes

No. of Rooms:

101

CHICAGO METRO

Holiday Inn

(630) 679-1600

Rates:

Single

$79.00

205 Remington Boulevard

(800) HOLIDAY

Double

$79.00

Bolingbrook, IL 60440

(630) 679-1616

Fax

Chicago Metro

Chicago Area Airports

O’Hare

Downstate Illinois

State Parks/Lodges

Bed and Breakfast Properties

Hotel Services and Amenities