Contract Staying Away: Hotel Tips

[BlackenedBiker]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening

I live in hope......

[alreadypacked]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening
I live in hope......

CUK after dark

[gricerboy]

Don't know if it's still there but there used to be a very cheap place called the "Do Drop Inn" in Alton. Was paying about £25 quid a night.
There were some quite uncouth types staying there mind you!

[Gibbon]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening

I live in hope......

Find a BB that only wants people in the week, that way you can keep your room over the weekend and not have to keep packing/unpacking as much.

Start an OU course, join a sports club, work all the O/T offered and the nights will fly by. Also eat properly.

or logon to pornhub and buy some hankies.

[threaded]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening

I live in hope......

Stay away from chains and find a good B&B negotiate a deal for a managed apartment stylee.
Sign up for an OU course and get some other bits of paper in something well away from your normal field of work.

[badgerpig]

dont know Basingrad but Laterooms normally does it for me

[DS23]

get the very best rate you can by block booking the contract period.

join the hotel reward scheme to load up with free days that you can use for pampering the missus and/or holidays (assuming the hotel is good enough quality or is of a chain that has good quality offerings).

negotiate a 5 days in 4 with the end client so that you spend most time in the office (rather then mooning about in the hotel) and get to leave on the thursday.

[chef]

I'd say there are generally 2 modes of thought when choosing hotels:

Option 1) Get yourself somewhere that's comfy with all you're requirements without going over board (i.e wifi, decent room, large bed, hotel bar, room service, lcd tv etc.) because of the following reasons:
- you're your own boss, why stay in a dump when you're paying the bills/approving expenses
- staying away is a perfectly valid business expense and so why scrimp and save when effectively the money is only going to goto HMRC anyway if you do
- if you have to live away then you might as well be happy and have what you require rather than be unhappy, hate working away which will eventually cause further issues

Option 2) Cheap and cheerful is the way forward, save every penny possible, B&B's all the way to maximise profit to enable me to spend the money saved elsewhere, something perfectly functional but with minimal cost i.e B&B with good breakfast, wireless internet is a bonus, somewhere not too far away from a local pub

it generally depends on you're outlook on life and the way you run a business.

Personally, I always book myself into a half decent hotel for 2 weeks to get a feel of where is best to stay/where posisble drinking colleagues are staying/nice areas of town are etc. Plus I find it helps if you stay somewhere nice to begin with as then you look at your new "woring away" location more positively than if you stay in squalor from the start. During this 2 week period I then look for a cheaper option such as a recommended B&B, an Inn with a decent restaurant nearby or more likely renting (ensuring my contract meets my work contract in terms of notice etc.) mainly because I prefer to cook myself a meal a few times a week rather than the lonely meal out with a paper/book etc.

However, it all depends on the location and length of contract. Short term contracts I go with option 1, longer term contracts I aim for a nice/good find version of Option 2. Happiness and quality of life while away is key for me rather than saving money to give it to the tax man. However, I have no wife or kids to worry about.. yet

[Troll]

dont know Basingrad but Laterooms normally does it for me

Ohhh I always find using them a bit pricey

Anyone any tips for search engines for hotel rooms (besides SKA)

Currently using
Expedia
Hotelscombined

[Churchill]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening
I live in hope......

Change hands after 99...