For right now I am happy with what I am doing but my long term plans will include some travel shopping. I will not be flying anywhere but driving. A poster last night mentioned about having to hide things when doing a hotel shop. That is understandable.
My questions are more about how you handle the tools you need to do the job. What do you take with you? I see most assignments you need a scanner and or printer. Do you simply take a small printer in a suitcase? I don't do well with internet on the phone . Do you just use a laptop and get a room with wifi?
If it is not a high end hotel are the questions and narrative a little less?
I have done trade shows at times when I had a business and when it came to big shows I always felt I had everything with me but the old kitchen sink. This was back in the 90's before smart phones and tablets. Back then we used the old clunky cell phone to send in CC transactions.
I'm just curious of how some of you experts handle this.

I can't help with hotel shops because my preference is to relax after a day of travel and work.

Several years ago I invested in a mobile office bag just for equipment. For most trips I take my laptop, iPad, video cameras and digital camera along with office supplies (pens, stapler, flash drives, blank DVDs, paper clips) and my battery charger with some extra double A's since those are needed for both my digital camera and mouse. In addition to car chargers, I have extra chargers for my phone and iPad that remained packed. My phone is my hotspot in case the hotel Wifi is slow or there is a charge.

Rather than scan, all POV gets photographed which happens as soon as I get to my car. It is too easy to lose a receipt or a business card when you wait. The only printing for me would be announced audits. If I think there is a possibility of picking up a couple on a route I will print the paperwork before leaving and have it handy along with a clipboard. If something comes up during the trip printing can be done at virtually all hotels.

Okay, Joe, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. You may be over-thinking this.

Of course, you take an hotel room with internet service, preferably free. Use a digital camera to take pix of receipts. Inser tthat SD card into laptop; upload pic of receipt; rimse and repeat. A few really hardened road warriors do take a scanner and a ton of other gear, but they may be on the road for 2-8 weeks at a stretch. That is NOT typical. However, a good GPS with updated maps and a recent version of MS Streets and Trips are essential!!

You will not need a printer. Most hotels will let you use their printer, in the privacy of an area dedicated to guest business needs. You can either use a data stick to take your document to their printer, or some have wireless remote printing to the business center computer. Or, you can just print out your instruction/surveys before you leave home. As a last resort, Staples or similar stores will print stuff for you.

Hiding things? Well, sort of. I try not to take my mouse pad with the obvious name and logo of an MSC. I take a small accordian file for paperwork. I use alligator clips to secure receipts or put then into envelopes. I take pix immediately of all receipts, just so they don't blow out of the car window (It happens.) I use a small digital voice recorder where it is legal to record interactions with hotel or airport employees. Otherwise, I get out of sight and write notes. When I leave my hotel room, I place the do not disturb sign. I do not hide or lock up my laptop, but I also do not leave it open and tuned to this site.

Now, many of us do like to take some comforts of home on the road. And, having enough "stuff" to make it seem sensible to need a bellman is an asset for hotel shops that include bell interactions. For many road trips, hotel shops or not, I take a favorite pillow, a cooler with re-freezable "ice" blocks, snacks, beverages, a few zip lock bags for leftover carryout food, emergency boots and coat (which may just stay in the car, of course) phone, laptop, power cords/charging cables for all electronics, wine, cork screw, a nice acrylic wine glass, lots of alligator clips, a good book, crossword puzzles, mouse and mouse pad. Don't forget a swim suit and some very casual clothes so you can chill when the chance occurs. For trips longer than a few days I also take some laundry detergent in those little blister packs (many good road hotels have laundry).

When you are doing a route, you can almost always negotiate due dates and times with your schedulers. Hotel internet speeds for uploading range from dismal to worse, for video and audio files (with a few exceptions that can be found in other threads or at VSN). Some hotel systems will simply fail. Your schedulers need to be ready and you will need to keep them informed while you are on the road. This is yet another reason to build rapport and trust with schedulers!!!

My advice is to start with baby steps by doing a route of only 1-2 nights. Then review what went right and what wrong and what was uncomfortable. The next short trip should be easier. No one just started shopping and zoomed straight to Road Warrior status.

Lisa,
You and I cross posted!

Joe, Lisa is a certified Road Warrior, for sure!

I personally bring a printer/scanner.
Most of the time my hotel report is done as I leave the hotel. I would carry a few bags to my car, then do the check out, get the receipt. Tell them I have a couple more bags and I will be out shortly. When I get back to the room, I scan the receipt, finish the check out portion of the report and upload it. Voila, report done and ready for a new day to travel, shop and enjoy until I get to my second location. I do not overbooked myself ( too many assignments ) for the reason of wanting to enjoy the location and doing all the reports from the shops done that day. On occasions my partner will upload a report from the cell phone while I am driving. I, also have used my cell phone or digital camera for taking pictures of the receipt.

Just a note to add that many hotel assignments would be voided if I went back to the room after checkout. Always read the instructions very carefully, as they can, and will, differ even within hotel brand/client/MSC.

My hotel assignments are complete, except for checkout activites, when I check out. BUT, the timing of a bell call, bell arrival, valet car retrieval call and car delivery, desk clerk and final interations with bellman, valet parker, and doorman, may be crucial to the report. Going back to the room after the visit to the checkout desk would definately have screwed up the timiings for yesterday's checkout sequence.

I should have mentioned that most of the hotels I do do not have Valet and Car delivery service. But Walesmaven is right on those high end shops.

"Road warrior"......hahaha
Thanks so much for the tips. I don't think I'll get to road warrior status , however there are some places I might travel to once in a while. I visit my daughter about once a month or so to see my grandson. It is about a 5 hour drive and a big city. They are moving into a new place and just informed me the new place will have a separate room set up as an office. I will be able to work and visit family at the same time. I could see my myself leaving a day early and doing some shops along the way. Also the reason I want to travel is I live in a small town. Some jobs are far away or in the next closest town. I could see staying at a hotel an hour away just to get more assignments and not rushing back home.
There are also some assignments I already like but are on somewhat long rotations. Traveling could take care of that too.
I did a trial run the other day that was almost 200 miles for 3 shops. The scheduler gave me a nice bonus so I took it just to see the area. I had not been there in quite a while. I came up with this question when I was coming home. I saw a Nice hotel on lake waterfront. I said to myself. "Instead of driving home I should just stay there and eat dinner here too."
I have a small printer that works with a laptop. I just might take that as well.
Do you find mid range hotel reports to be narrative heavy or are they within reason? I imagine some might just depend on the company.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2013 04:04PM by americanjoe.

Most mid-range hotel reports are not narrative heavy, in my experience. Without a doorman, valet parking, bell service, concierge desk, rewards member lounge, a bar (or only one bar), a full service restaurant, and room service, there are simply far fewer required interactions to describe in detail. But you will need to be detailed in your narratives about the few interactions involved. To me, mid-range includes, for instance, Hampton Inns, Hilton Garden Hotels, and their main competitors. The HGs may well have a restaurant and bar, or course.

I drove past a Hampton the other day. It over looked a Lake. It got me to thinking about staying the night after doing some shops.
Thanks again for the input !!

For some of you experienced hotel shoppers, what is the average time on reports for the midrange hotels? I'm debating whether to add a few hotel shops or just bite the bullet and pay for hotel and find other shops to cover the route. I know it's not 2-3 hours but I want to be realistic.

Lattegirl,
For midrange shops, 2 hours for reports should do it. Of course, the first one will take twice as long, just because it will be unfamiliar. When doing a hotel shop on a route be very careful to read the rules about check-in and (especially) check-out time. Some require that you check out AFTER 9:00 AM (or even later) which could mess up your shopp schedule down the road. For shoppers doing new home or apartment shops, this might work well, but if you are trying to wedge 20-some short shops into the day, not so much.

The way that I use hotel shops on routes is often to use the free nights earned to support a night on the road, with no report due.

Ahhh, I never thought about that walesmaven - good point! T

Two hours definitely works for me! I anticipated 4 actually so that's probably realistic for my first time! The one I'm looking at is a midrange property. I can only see the guidelines without the specifics. For now, it's one or two shops along the route as most of my shops are new homes, a few retail, and a sprinkle of restaurants for a treat. I love retail because I can squeeze it in whenever I want - no target or time restrictions!

walesmaven Wrote:
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> well, but if you are trying to wedge 20-some short
> shops into the day, not so much.

20 in one day? :0 I thought I was doing good with four