Purpose

This article explains how to use search filters to find hotel rates and offers guidance on selecting the most suitable rate for your needs.

Audience

This article applies to travel management and users.

Overview

When booking a hotel, you may want to consider the following factors to determine what type of hotel is best for your trip:

The amount of flexibility you need in your reservation
Your company’s policy on whether you should make your booking with a company card or with your personal card with a reimbursement later
Your company’s preferences around cost savings and perks, such as earning hotel loyalty points

Additional resource: Watch our CSM Office Hours: Hotel Negotiated Rates for more information.

Filter by hotel rate types

You can select a hotel rate type while booking a hotel. Once you’ve entered your destination and travel dates and select a hotel option, you can filter that hotel’s room options by several filters:

Cancellation Policy (Figure 1): That is, refundable vs nonrefundable
Rewards and Loyalty (Figure 2): Hotel loyalty eligible (Review our article about managing your traveler information and our travel deployment best practices article to learn more about hotel loyalty.)
Rate Types (Figure 3): Pay at hotel, pay now during booking

Figure 1. Room Details page showing several room options, with the Cancellation Policy filter options outlined for emphasis. Options include nonrefundable and refundable.

Figure 1. Cancellation policy options

Figure 2. Rewards and Loyalty options

Figure 3. Room Details page showing several room options, with the Rate Types filter options outlined for emphasis. Options include Pay at Hotel and Pay Now.

Figure 3. Rate type options

Table 1: Rate types

Review the following table to learn about each hotel rate and why you may want to select it.

Rate type	Description	Other considerations
Refundable	Can be canceled May be eligible for a full refund, if needed, depending on the hotel's policies and requirements If you cancel a reservation where you only reserved the room and planned to pay at checkout, the reservation is canceled. Is usually eligible for loyalty points	These rates tend to be more expensive than nonrefundable rates. They can also be more flexible than other hotel rate types.
Nonrefundable	*NONREFUNDABLE MEANS NONREFUNDABLE* *Highly restrictive* *No changes or cancellation allowed*	A nonrefundable booking is not eligible for changes or cancellations. The booking is “use it or lose it.” When booking a nonrefundable rate, be aware of the terms, as they can vary by hotel brand and property. If you decide to book a nonrefundable rate, make sure your dates are definite. Check your booking confirmation for cancellation rules and restrictions.
Prepay	Refundable outside the cancellation window* Is a good option for booking with a company card or virtual card Allows you to submit the expense for reimbursement right away if you charge a personal card Is sometimes less expensive than the pay-at-hotel rate Is paid in full at the time of booking	Check whether the rate is refundable or nonrefundable before prepaying. With prepay rates, you pay for the hotel room at the time of booking. You will also be required to present a credit card under your name at check-in for incidentals, outstanding taxes, resort fees, or all of these. A prepay rate is not eligible for loyalty points.
Pay-at-hotel	Refundable outside the cancellation window* Credit card required at time of booking as guarantee Earns loyalty points	A credit card in the guest’s name is required at check-in for payment and incidentals; the hotel holds the deposit at check-in and charges the full amount at check-out. Note: The credit card the guest uses at check-in doesn't have to be the same card used to reserve the room. Pay-at-hotel rates may present challenges for business travelers because if you want to pay for the room with a company credit card that you don't physically have (that is, a virtual card), you won't be able to use that card during check-in.

Table note

Cancellation window example:

If the cancellation policy is “24 hours before check-in”:

Canceling outside the 24-hour window (e.g., 48 hours before check-in) = eligible for a refund.
Canceling within the 24-hour window (e.g., 12 hours before check-in) = penalties apply