CONUS Rates Increased to $83
2013-08-30 — /travelprnews.com/ — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) applauds the General Services Administration’s (GSA) federal per diem rates for FY2014, effective October 1, 2013:
“The FY 2014 per diem rates released today by GSA are welcome news for government travelers who stay in hotels while traveling on government business,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO. “These rates, which are calculated to reflect actual market room rates, are a key component of an efficient federal travel policy. The methodology used to establish the rates released today ensure that federal travelers will be able to find hotel rooms at a good value to the federal government.”
Federal per diem rates, used by government travelers to obtain hotel rooms at a standard discount, are established each year based on actual market data compiled and provided by Smith Travel Research.
The methodology received a strong endorsement from the Government Travel Advisory Committee (GTAC) in July. The committee was established to review existing federal travel policies and to advise the federal government in establishing travel polices in an effective and efficient manner at the lowest logical travel cost.
GTAC members are travel professionals from various private sector industries. One member, Paul Somogyi, director sales, middle market, government & affinity segments for Marriott International, has brought a great deal of valuable insight to the committee.
The standard continental United States (CONUS) per diem rate that is not listed as specific destinations was increased to $83 per night. That rate, which is reviewed every three years, was previously $77 per night.
Reflecting the reduction of federal travel spending and demand for rooms, Washington, D.C. per diem rates were reduced to $219 from $226 for the heavy fall travel season and from $169 to $167 during the summer months.
Some examples of the per diem lodging rate changes for FY2014 include:
• Twenty nine areas which had their own per diem rates were moved into the CONUS rate.
• The New York City (Manhattan) fall season was increased from $295 to $303.
• The City of Hershey, Pennsylvania has its own per diem rate separate from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Chicago’s fall season was increased from $190 to $209.
• The fall season for San Francisco was increased from $184 to $226.
The complete list of federal per diem rates can be found at www.gsa.gov/perdiem.
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Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.