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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How are we billed?
CLS bills weekly via email in an Excel, CSV or PDF format. Each is consolidated, coded and separated to your company’s specification. In addition we have the ability to transfer the files through an electronic interface that is compatible with most accounting systems.

Our Creative Lodging Solutions Super Computer “Genesis” truly is customer flexible. Our billing system was created from a client’s point of view. We have the ability to sort billing and invoices by: Date range, Job site, Job number, Project number, Person, Region, Division, Job Codes and just about any other parameters you’d find helpful. We can also code your stays with your accounting codes to make them data input ready once they are approved, or we can electronically do a data transfer directly into your accounting software to totally eliminate the data input function. Most of our customers have found the “HIDDEN SAVINGS” in using Creative Lodging Solutions, which is the manpower reduction in receiving, sorting, coding and data input of invoices.

Q. Why should we use Creative Lodging Solutions?
Every client has their own objectives, but every client agrees: we save them money in several different areas. Some clients join us for the RATE SAVINGS that deliver more profit for their company, some for the TIME SAVINGS that free up staff to do more important functions, and some just like the ADMINISTRATIVE SAVINGS that allow them to reduce or re-deploy staff.

Our clients save an average of 19.3% compared to internet rates.

Our consolidated billing codes and separates your costs according to your specifications. This saves you time and, for many of our clients, has led to a reduction in, or re-deployment of, labor costs.

Creative Lodging Solutions gives you more time to focus on your core business. By eliminating the distractions of researching hotels, setting up direct bills, processing multiple invoices and correcting misquoted rates and unapproved charges, your employees have more time to focus on your business and bottom line.

We guarantee that no unauthorized charges will ever appear on your bill. No more time spent disputing unauthorized charges or wondering if you are paying for things you shouldn’t.

We have found that many companies have a travel policy in place that is meant to control costs but few actually enforce it. Creative Lodging Solutions will enforce your travel policy without you having to be the bad guy. One of our clients reduced their total lodging costs roughly 35% because their policy of “all employees must double up” was not enforced. When CLS took over, that became the properly enforced standard and we actually reported back to the company all exceptions to the policy, leading to marked savings.

Q. How can Creative Lodging Solutions save us money?
We leverage our multi-million dollar buying power to save our clients an average of 19% on hotel stays.

Our consolidated billing service eliminates the need to sort through and process multiple hotel invoices. One client went from processing 35,000 hotel invoices and cutting 7,000 checks per year to just one invoice and one check per week after joining CLS. This led to a significant reduction in labor costs.

We guarantee that no unauthorized charges appear on your bill. You select the authorized charges such as room, tax, fax, etc. and that’s all you’ll be billed for. If the hotel does try to bill an unauthorized charge, we take up the fight on your behalf and relieve you of any responsibility for the charge.

If you have a travel policy that has a per-diem limit on hotel cost or a double up policy, Creative Lodging Solutions can ensure those company policies are enforced. We become the travel policy police, not your supervisors. This arms length distance allows Creative Lodging Solutions to take the heat, not your supervisors or company. It is frequently the case that a per-diem is in the travel policy but no one is following it. CLS has added thousands of dollars directly to the bottom line of companies that partner with us when we ensure compliance.

CLS audits every hotel invoice as part of our process and we find that hotels make mistakes or place additional charges on hotel folios an average of 15-20% of the time. We find $2 per night safe charges, $3 per night surcharges, unauthorized phone and other incidental charges, not to mention the wrong rates! Creative Lodging Solutions ELIMINATES this possibility and GUARANTEES that no unauthorized charges will show up on you bill.

Q. Will we still get our hotel reward points?
While not every hotel will honor reward points, all of our preferred hotel partners representing thousands of hotels and every major brand do honor reward points.

Q. How do we make a request?
Call us at 888-852-5100 or submit requests via our website. You can use our user-friendly website to request lodging options, track reservations, view invoices and track spending. Having this type of information at your fingertips can save valuable time, help you control costs, and assist in the budgeting process.

Q. How can CLS help us enforce our travel per diems?
With deep discounts negotiated at over 6,000 hotels, CLS can easily stay within your budget guidelines. Additionally, we load your company’s per diems into our reservation system which then flags any rate that is higher than your per diem and requires approval by a representative from your company. When we are gathering options for your company to choose from we simply eliminate options that fall outside your travel policy or per-diem.

Q. Will we be placed in lower quality hotels to save money?
No. Savings are provided through our multi-million dollar buying power and through national agreements with thousands of hotels. In fact, in many cases our highly skilled certified negotiators have been able to offer upgraded accommodations and still provide significant savings. Creative Lodging Solutions also leaves the final choice of hotels to you. We simply provide you with options and rates and your company still has the ability to choose which option you prefer.

Q. Will we be able to request a hotel we like and have used before?
Yes. Creative Lodging Solutions has unlimited distribution and you can request any hotel you prefer. As an example, one of our clients already had a select number of hotels that their 10 district managers had relationships with. They liked the hotel, the staff, and got reward points. Creative Lodging Solutions was able to save this client about 15% directly off the room rates they were paying while at the same time save thousands in hotel invoice processing, all while keeping up with rates to ensure they came in correctly each week without additional charges.

Q. Can we call at any time to make reservations?
Our office hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Additionally, we have a 24 hour call center for after hour emergencies.

Q. Does Creative Lodging Solutions always provide the lowest rate versus typical internet booking sites?
On occasion you may find a lower rate on the internet, usually due to last minute cancellations or in response to a slow night or period. Many of these lower rates require you to pay in advance and if you change or cancel your reservation, you lose your money. Creative Lodging Solutions, on average, saves its clients 19% with no upfront payments and no risk.

Q. How can CLS guarantee we’ll never see unauthorized charges on our bill?
Each hotel we work with must sign an agreement to charge us only what is outlined on the authorization form that is sent prior to each hotel stay. If the hotel does try to bill an unauthorized charge, we take up the fight on your behalf and relieve you of any responsibility for the charge. Our billing audit department audits several points of accuracy on each hotel invoice on your behalf.

Q. Our company has multiple divisions and job sites. Can you provide separate billing for each division and job?
Yes! One of the great advantages of partnering with CLS is provided through our consolidated billing service. Our clients simply provide billing and job codes at the time of the request or reservation and then Creative Lodging Solutions consolidates, sorts, and codes your bill according to your specifications.

Q. We only want certain people from our company to be able to make requests for reservations; how can Creative Lodging Solutions ensure others cannot make reservations without our authorization?

Your company’s profile is built into our proprietary software system, including a list of authorized employees. If an employee’s name does not appear on the list of authorized users, we will not process the request. This eliminates unauthorized stays and allows for greater control of your lodging expenditures.

Q. Are there any upfront costs?
No. There are no upfront costs, no hidden fees or setup costs with Creative Lodging Solutions. There are no long term agreements or minimums. In short, there is NO RISK to begin saving 15%-20% on lodging costs alone with Creative Lodging Solutions.

Q. Can Creative Lodging Solutions help us enforce our travel policies?
A. Yes! In addition to rate savings and labor savings, helping our clients enforce their travel policies can offer the potential for huge savings. Whether it’s controlling who makes reservations, the types of hotels they stay in, eliminating unauthorized charges such as fax, phone or movie charges, or enforcing a policy for travelers to double up, CLS can take on that responsibility for you. We take great pride in how we manage double occupancy for our clients. On average we take companies from 35% – 68% double efficiency percentage (the percentage of how many guests actually are doubled up) to an average of 95%. We are very proud of the savings we generate.

Q. What are your fees?
Our fees vary, depending on your annual lodging spend and length of stay. All rates quoted are inclusive of our fees, allowing you to quickly determine savings of 15-20%!

Q. Can we use your service and pay on our own?
Our service is a complete package: research, rate negotiations, consolidated billings and reports. At the moment, we do not separate our services.

Q- We have national hotel agreements currently. How would I benefit from your program?
We have national agreements with almost every major hotel chain, and with $40 million in buying power, our rates should be lower than your current agreements. We’re not limited by distribution and provide you with ALL the best options that meet your rate, amenity and location criteria. These options can include your national vendors as well as those you’ve not worked with, allowing you to determine the best solution for your needs. Once you’ve made a selection, that’s it. No need for credit card authorization or direct bills; we handle it all. Best of all, our invoices are coded and TIMELY. We also have relationships with the smaller chains who often offer a better product for the price. In summary, when you have a small number of national agreements you are tied into those hotel chains. With Creative Lodging Solutions we don’t tie you to any specific hotel company, thus allowing you to make the best choice in each market you are in.

Q- Do you have a booklet or list of hotels?
While we do have preferred partners, we’re not limited by distribution and have the ability to work with any hotel/chain as well as apartments, so there is no specific list.

Q. Is there a Customer Service number that the field employee can call directly to get accommodations?
Yes. If the field employee is an authorized user, we are happy to send out laminated cards with our phone number and hours of operations.

Q. What do I do if I sign up and I don’t like your service?
As with any endeavor that is going to create major savings in your organization, we ask that you give us at least 6 months after joining our partnership. However, after 6 months, if you are not convinced that we are a huge advantage to your organization, then simply cancel your agreement with us. Unlike our competitors, our agreements are not exclusive and do not have any penalty for lack of use or to cancel. If we are not a good fit, we don’t mind parting ways. We don’t like long term contracts. In our own experience we have found that long term agreements can create a situation where vendors get complacent and service declines. We like to earn your business every 30-days.