Should I expense it?

I think you should absolutely expense the hotel.

If you want to clear your conscience, then check the airline schedule out of the event city. Would you have been able to get a flight out that night when you figure in time to write and to comfortably get to the airport.

In addition, was it an event in which weather could have delayed things? If so, then you needed to stay the extra night regardless.

I try not to anything with my corporate credit card that I wouldn't do with my own cash. That means, I will sometimes have lunch at Chipotle or somewhere like that and dinner might be Outback or Chilis rather than some fancy place. It also means that I'm very willing to stay at a Courtyard rather than a full Marriott in part because of the (usually) free parking and the always free internet.

 

I agree. I think I have a zillion Marriott points now and I have work to thank. That, plus getting in the press box for big events, are the only things people get jealous of when we talk about our jobs...

 

Here is what you should do -- don't expense it -- but find a cabbie and ask him for as many blank receipts as he can give you -- offer him $10 --- and then claim $300 in cab rides..........

 

Indeed, racking up travel points is one big reason not to use priceline. $110 for three nights is hard to beat anywhere for a 3-star, but usually you can find competitive rates through any hotel chain website.
Another? Not knowing what you will get. If you need internet service, although most hotels have some sort of net service now, you won't know for sure if you use priceline. Plus, not knowing how far you will be from your event, or how close to other things like parking costs, can be troublesome. I once got a $45 a night room rate at a 4-star in Houston only to find out to park cost an extra $15 a night. Still a decent price for the quality, but still.

But more importantly is flexibility. I know you can now get the insurance on priceline in case your trip is canceled, but the limitations are extremely ridiculous, so it's much easier to deal with the hotels directly. In today's shaky media market it's not unusual for company heads to put on travel freezes/cancel your trip all together, etc... and not say that until the day before you leave. Book with priceline, you are out whatever the cost, and with said memo from your company coming out, good luck getting them to pay for the hotel loss. book direct and most chains still allow you to cancel the day of. (Get burned by your company once is all it takes...your company can be the best in the world up until that point. But they can screw you here)

Also, if the event is suddenly changed or moved then it can be another issue all together. start or end of event delayed a day (say rain delays the start of this weekend's US Open, and it also goes to the Monday playoff, which is ultimately delayed to Tuesday). Or you are expecting to stay a long week in Omaha, but Miami is two and done, giving you an early exit.
In both cases, hotels will work with you, if you've booked through them. A hotel will allow early checkout and not charge the extra two nights you don't stay, so long as they know. Priceline has already charged you.
Extended stay? Most hotels will honor the rate you initially booked for an extra night or two, if they have the room, and you booked through them. Use priceline and need to stay longer once you get there, they have no obligation to extend the stay, and can (and probably will) charge you the standard (highest) room rate, since you have to basically rebook travel anyway (as in provide credit card info, etc...)

 

No clue if this plays into it at all, but if a trip needs to be cut short or extended, there's an extra fee through priceline/expedia/orbitz/whatever. If you get the flight through the airline itself, there's one extra fee. Through one of those money-saving sites, you've got the site's fee plus the airline's. It makes it much more complicated to change a flight on short notice.

As for the original question, yes, expense it. Like you said, worst they can do is say too bad and make you pay for it.

 

Wow. screw that. We book our own travel. It's just easier that way.

 

I don't know about you, but if I am on the road I am wary at any place but a Mariott. The internet has to work, the desk has to be comfortable and you need a place to work. I have found a lot of comfort and quality inn type places extremely lacking in these departments.

I go Mariott first unless it is a prearranged deal media hotel (like a bowl game), If I can a Courtyard because internet is free (BS that you have to pay at the full service). This is an "f'in" business trip, you should have reasonable, comfortable, and familiar arrangements.

Too many Day's Inn I stayed at had internet troubles. I would never go below that grade either.

For me, Mariott, Hilton and possibly Holiday Inn. In that order.

Anyhow, be reasonable. Was the money spent work related? Then expense it. Also, don't go out of your way to save a buck, but don't spend extravagantly.

Journalists biggest problems are we are too cheap. I am sick of news side folk thinking going to cover a game is a vacation. That's BS. I go into towns and sometimes don't see the outside of a hotel.

 

My rule of thumb is this: If it were my money, would I spend this much for a hotel, car, flight, etc. if I could find a better rate. A lot of times that means getting a small car, a $70-$90 hotel room and the dirt-cheapest flight I can find.

 

I know a guy who expensed a bribe so I'd say "yes."

 

Please explain.

 

A guy I knew was covering an NFL exhibition game in Mexico City in the early 90s. Next day he's driving to the airport to catch his flight. Mexico City cop pulls him over and says he's got the wrong license plates for driving that day. According to the cop Mexico City was using an "odd/even" driving day system to combat air pollution. The guy gave the cop $200 to let him go so he could make his flight.

He put it on his expense report and listed it as a bribe. Accounting didn't even ask him about it. Just paid it.

 

Oh, I basically do the same thing. And I end up at Marriott's most of the time, but there are occasions on a college basketball beat when I know I'm only gonna spend 8-10 hours in my hotel room, max, and will be filing from the arena, so there's no justification for going with the $99 Mariott when I can get a $69 Quality Inn. If I really need the porn, I'll just pay-per-view it and pay for it separately.

By the way, anybody ever gotten away with expensing a porn rental?