Marriott Execustay Government Rates for TDY

Marriott Execustay recently signed up with TDY Lodging to market their furnished corporate apartments to Military and Government travelers at locations throughout the U.S. including Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, and MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL.  The corporate housing arm of Marriott, known as Marriott Execustay is well known throughout the corporate lodging industry as being one of the finest and most reputable brands for government, military, and corporate travelers.  The full press release announcing the marketing partnership can be viewed through PR Newswire TDY Lodging Signs Up New Corporate Housing Providers . 

Their furnished accommodations will now be featured through the Defense Lodging portal managed by TDY Lodging.  The full release was distributed through PR Newswire and a number of other corporate housing and hospitality press release news services.  The Marriott Execustay properties featured near all military and government travel locations can be viewed through TDY Lodging's website.  TDY Lodging anticipates that the marketing of Marriott Execustay properties in Tampa at MacDill Air Force Base, Fort Bragg, and Fort Benning should see an increase in government and corporate travel since their properties were listed in the Defense Lodging system.

National Guard & Reserve Mobilization Orders

Receiving mobilization orders is not so much if it happens, but when it happens.  With a reduction in Active Duty forces and two major combat operations underway in Afghanistan and Iraq, being activated for training or to fill a slot as an individual augmentee is a a fact of life for most National Guard and Army Reserve members.  Activation orders generally activate a Soldier for either a specific training mission, or they activate the service member to fill a combat role; if filling a combat role, either the entire unit can come down on mobilization orders, or the military service member may receive orders as an individual augmentee.

TDY Lodging offers a wide array of DoD Lodging solutions throughout the United States and select locations in Europe for Reserve and National Guard members who have received activation or mobilization orders.  Often these assignments will require a service member to relocate for 180 days to as long a 18 months, which makes our lodging options a favorable alternative.  Our selection of DoD Lodging options include furnished apartments, houses, and condos near every major military installation.  The Defense Lodging blog features many topics related to TDY & PCS moves for all branches of the military.

Schofield Barracks Lodging

Schofield Barracks is one of the most coveted Army installations for service members.  Not only does the island of Oahu provide some of the best weather and beaches, but the the beach front hotels and condos offer panoramic views of the beautiful South Pacific Ocean.  Waikiki Beach Hotels are some of the most luxurious hotels in the Hawaiian Islands and offer the best location for travelers to Oahu.  For travelers, Schofield Barracks Lodging is available through the "Inn at Schofield Barracks," but many travelers prefer to stay in Waikiki because of its proximity to local activities including restaurants, nightlife, and outdoor activities like the beach. 
There are several lodging options on Oahu for travelers to Schofield Barracks including hotels, condos, and house rentals.  Waikiki Hotels and condos can be found at the per diem lodging rate through furnished condo providers like TDY Services which offers Schofield Barracks Lodging options for government and military travelers.  The government lodging rate for Hawaii is higher than many locations because of its status as a very popular vacation destination.  For travelers to other locations throughout the continental United States, the TDY Lodging website features many travel locations near military installations.

Naval Academy Lodging

Annapolis Lodging at the US Naval Academy
It's no surprise that the historic city of Annapolis has been named the Capital of Sailing and Maryland Blue Crabs; Annapolis is after all the Maryland State Capital.  Not only is it a great place to visit, but Annapolis is also home to the United States Naval Academy, which commissions thousands of cadets every year to become officers in the US Navy and United States Marine Corps.

Featured lodging providers in this multi-faceted capital include the Annapolis Sheraton which is one of the finest hotels within close proximity to the USNA, and Annapolis Accommodations which is a well known lodging provider of furnished condos and house rentals for the Naval Academy Commissioning week.  With many lodging options available year round in Annapolis, the family week surrounding Commissioning Week can lead to a shortage of furnished house rentals and condos, many of which book as far as a year in advance.  For more information on Annapolis accommodations, and for more photos and information on the city of Annapolis including Naval Academy Lodging options be sure to check out our Wordpress blog for insight on the Capital of Maryland, sailing, and the Maryland blue crab!   

TDY Lodging Fort Huachuca

We’re pleased to announce a new Fort Huachuca TDY Lodging housing provider near the West Gate in Elgin, Arizona.  The new furnished house rental is located just minutes from the back gate entrance to Ft Huachuca and is known as the Canelo Stone Cottage.  This new house rental is currently renting at the per diem lodging rate.  Elgin is a rural town next to Fort Huachuca known for ranches and vineyards; Elgin is adjacent to Sonoita and the Coronado National Forest.  Although it may be slightly off the beaten path, it’s about a 25 minute drive to the Ft Huachuca East Gate if the West Gate is closed; this house rental is a viable option for a TDY traveler in need of housing who may not mind a commute to Fort Huachuca Main Post or into the city of Sierra Vista.  Check out the full listing for more information.  

For all other TDY Lodging house listings near the Army post, we feature a large number of listings in Sierra Vista.  The Fort Huachuca TDY Lodging page has housing options including apartments, extended stay hotels, and house rentals close to the base.  With the exception of hotels, most of the short term accommodations require a 30 night minimum stay for temporary duty personnel and travelers receiving Dislocation Allowance (DLA) in conjunction with a PCS move.  The Fort Huachuca Housing office may be able to recommend other options in Sierra Vista for travelers seeking un-furnished house rentals or apartments in the local area.

Featured Properties

TDY Lodging Facebook Welcome

Fort Campbell Housing for Temporary Duty

TDY Lodging has added a new Corporate Housing provider to the Fort Campbell Lodging page.  Temporary lodging provider veteran Horizon Corporate Housing is now listed as a featured provider through the Defense Lodging System managed by TDY Lodging.

The new Horizon Corporate Housing listing states:  Everything is included all furnishings, utilities, cable, high-speed internet and washer/dryer. No long term leases required. Rates are less than most hotels. They also accept all major credit cards and you pay only one bill each month.

TDY Lodging Facebook page

TDY Lodging is now on Facebook.  It's official.  We look forward to sharing with all of the other Facebook community members out there including Military and Government personnel, Corporate Housing providers, and hotel and extended stay owners looking to see what we're about and how we strive to make temporary housing for government travelers a more streamlined process.  Traveling to a new short term duty assignment can be a daunting task, whether you go TDY for a few days or several months.  TDY Lodging is here to help, by providing as many housing, apartment,and hotel options as possible.

The newly launched TDY Lodging Facebook page will be growing over the next several weeks and months, so be sure to check back frequently...and Like Us!

Thanks for checking out the TDY Lodging Facebook page.

Camp Pendleton Lodging - Condo Vacation Rentals

The newest addition to TDY Lodging is provided by Better Vacation Rentals Inc, a provider of furnished vacation rentals and corporate housing type lodging in Northern San Diego.  The latest property listing is a fully furnished condo rental in Oceanside, CA, just minutes to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and is available for short term temporary duty lodging assignments.  Camp Pendleton Lodging can be limited, and for travelers seeking accommodations off base, TDY Lodging has options for military and government travelers.

Browse all Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Lodging options for official and off duty travel to the greater San Diego area.

How to Create Incentives to Save on Government Travel TDY Lodging Expenses

Excerpt from the Save Award Ideascale website:

"In 2009, President Obama called for “a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better.” The President’s SAVE (Securing Americans’ Value and Efficiency) Award fulfilled this commitment by enabling Federal employees from across the government to submit their ideas for efficiencies and savings as part of the annual Budget process.
Now in 2010, we expanded the process so Federal employees can both submit ideas and vote on ideas submitted by others in a collaborative process."

ISSUE
"Currently OPM per diem rates for travel (TDY) are set so that the lodging rate is a 'use it or lose it' system whereby money not spent on lodging is returned to the government. This fosters an environment where most government travelers don't spend any time looking for the best rate. In fact, in many cases the upper limit is what travelers look for so that they can maximize their frequent traveler program points."

SOLUTION
"The lodging per diem rates can stay the same but make a hybrid solution of the current lodging and M&IE rules so that money spent under the maximum is split between the government and the traveler - perhaps a 50/50 split of the savings. For example, if the lodging in Area A is $100/night and a traveler finds a hotel for $50/night, he would keep $25/night and $25/night would be cost savings to the government."

IMPACT
"Incentivize travelers to find more cost effective lodging with immediate and universal impact of hundreds of millions of dollars per year."


Full Article:  http://saveaward2010.ideascale.com/a/searchPanel.do

Corporate Housing Provider boosts profits in Defense Lodging Industry

National Corporate Housing Provider TDY Lodging boosts profits for Defense and Military Temporary Lodging providers.

The Corporate Housing industry has officially expanded into the Department of Defense Lodging market.  TDY Lodging has become a very attractive marketing outlet for Temporary Lodging providers within the government travel and Corporate Housing sector, and DoD Lodging is now offered at more than 100 locations within the United States and Overseas.  Year to date results reveal increased occupancy rates and record profits for Corporate Housing companies and Hotels that use TDYLodging.com to market their hotels and lodging to Military and Defense travelers within the Federal GSA Per Diem Rates.  Corporate Lodging Providers including Hotel owners and Temporary Housing companies pay a small annual fee to be connected directly with military and government travelers seeking temporary lodging at extended stay hotels, furnished apartments, and Corporate Housing. 

TDY Lodging acquired Corporate House Rentals earlier in the year, which allowed the company to gain a large market share of the Defense Lodging and Corporate Housing industry.  The acquisition included government contracts with major Department of Defense Contractor clients within the Washington DC Corporate Housing market and many other major markets including MacDill AFB Lodging for Air Force personnel and Fort Huachuca TDY Lodging for Army travelers.  Despite a decrease in FY 2011 Department of Defense spending, TDY Lodging has enabled many hotel and corporate house rental owners to obtain record profits based on the popularity of their Corporate Housing model.  DoD Lodging is often sparse around major cities, forcing many users of the Defense Travel System (DTS) to seek temporary lodging through Corporate Housing providers outside of the DoD Travel System.   

The Corporate Housing industry is affected by the Department of Defense Budget in several cities and metropolitan areas, and the new 2011 GSA Per Diem Rates affect Temporary Lodging providers in TDY locations near military installations, which may cause a drop in Corporate Housing Rates where providers rely on the Government Per Diem Rates.  Although there was a drop in many of the 2011 GSA Per Diem Rates, Corporate Housing Providers marketing through TDY Lodging’s unique Defense Lodging System anticipate increased profits for FY11 because they have been able to market directly to government and military travelers without paying a commission for every reservation.

TDY Lodging Featured in Hotel Interactive

Hotel Interactive author Maria Wood’s recent article Marching Orders, reveals a valuable revenue stream for hotel owners; the government travel market:

For hotels looking to boost revenues in a recession-racked economy, there are two customer bases they can attack: the Department of Defense (DOD) and government travel sectors.

The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel ran a special promotion from December 2009 to October 8 offering government and military workers a discounted rate starting at $158 a night (down from the standard $169), along with free breakfast and high-speed Internet service.

To borrow a currently popular military phrase, the 500-key hotel, located in Schaumburg, IL, witnessed a surge in bookings in the first quarter, when more than 300 room nights were reserved through the promotion, reported Jeanette Ulepic, the Renaissance Schaumburg’s director of sales and marketing. That translates to a 20 percent uptick in bookings in comparison to the same time a year earlier. And that’s in an area where demand from military and government personnel is generally not high, Ulepic noted. After the first quarter, she said, bookings were flat in comparison to 2009.

Nevertheless, the hotel considers the promotion a success.

“Any opportunity we have to increase awareness of our hotel and also provide a benefit to a (customer) segment, like the government and military, is always a positive opportunity for us,” Ulepic said.

Individual hotels don’t necessarily have to rely on one-off promotions like the one at the Renaissance Schaumburg to call in the military. TDY Lodging, an online marketing platform, lists hotels located primarily near military installations and major cities, allowing those properties to get in front of DOD personnel and government workers looking for lodging while on a temporary assignment that can last anywhere from a few days to six months.

Matthew Foster, founder and general manager of Ventura, CA-based TDY Lodging, estimated that there are between 400 and 500 hotels, stationed in more than 100 locations in the U.S., in the system. TDY Lodging also inventories corporate housing and furnished and unfurnished apartments.

There is certainly no shortage of potential guests in this sector. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.4 million individuals current serve in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.

In addition to military personnel, defense contractors and any government agency employee working under the auspices of the GSA (General Services Administration) are eligible for the government’s per diem rate for lodging accommodations.

Another advantage to joining up with TDY Lodging is that owners pay a flat annual rate of $199 per hotel. There are no commissions or third-party booking fees.

“It’s very easy for a hotel to recoup that marketing cost,” Foster said, “and then make some profit on top of that.”

For the full article by Maria Wood, visit Hotel Interactive .