Travel Policy > Lodging

Lodging

Guidelines for Lodging
Lodging Receipts
Conference Hotels
Online Hotel Booking
Deposits and Cancellations
Lodging in a Private Residence

Guidelines for Lodging

Lodging expenses must not exceed the single occupancy rate. It is expected that the traveler will exercise prudent judgment in selection of a place to stay. Discounted room rates must be used when practical; the Big Ten consortium has negotiated room rates with the hotel chains listed at http://www.uwsa.edu/fadmin/fppp/fppp36e.htm.

Lodging Receipts

• CONUS: Receipts are required for CONUS lodging. The receipt must state the amount of the charge, the date, the name and the location of the establishment, and an explanation of the charge. Express checkout service, where the hotel bill is placed under the guest's door on the morning of departure, is an acceptable receipt if the traveler has reviewed it and the above requirements are stated. Charges for lodging, meals, phone calls, parking or other services must be itemized. Personal expenses charged to the hotel bill such as in-room movies, laundry, mini-bar service, grooming, or exercising expenses are not allowable and are not eligible for reimbursement.


• O-CONUS: In most cases, lodging will be reimbursed on a per diem basis for O-CONUS travel. No receipts are required for reimbursement.

Conference Hotels

For conference travel it is appropriate to stay at the hotel hosting the conference, assuming that the daily rate is reasonable. Reasonableness would be determined by comparing relative cost, convenience, safety, the reduced need for taxi or rental car, and the ability to interact with other conference attendees.

Online Hotel Booking

With the use of online hotel booking, it is not always possible to obtain a receipt from the hotel one has booked online. In this case, the hotel did not contract for payment with the guest but with the online booking company. Therefore, the hotel has no receipt to provide to the guest. The online receipt printed when the hotel is booked will serve as an acceptable receipt provided it reflects the dates of the traveler's stay, the location, and the amount charged.

Deposits and Cancellations

Some hotels require a deposit equal to one or more night's lodging to be paid at the time a reservation is made. In this event, the traveler's credit card may be charged months in advance of the travel. This deposit may be paid with the Purchasing Card, or with the traveler's personal credit card. If the Purchasing Card is used, the traveler must provide supporting documentation with the submission of the paperwork for the Purchasing Card. If the deposit is paid with personal funds, the traveler may seek reimbursement from the University, which will be paid as an advance against the trip. When the traveler settles his or her account at the end of the trip, the amount of the advance will be applied to the reimbursement due.

When a reservation will not be needed, it is the traveler's responsibility to cancel it. The traveler will not be reimbursed for any charges or fees assessed due to failure to cancel a reservation unless there are circumstances beyond the traveler's control. Such circumstances must be noted in ERS.*

Lodging in a Private Residence

In the event a traveler lodges in a private residence in lieu of a commercial establishment, the traveler is eligible for a reimbursement of actual expenses not to exceed $25 per day. Recognizing that the University will save substantially from reduced lodging expenses, this reimbursement is intended to facilitate this choice. The traveler is required to provide the name and address of the residence in which he or she stayed. This reimbursement is not available when the residence is owned by the traveler.

* ERS is an online reimbursement-processing system that will be rolled out in several phases beginning in January 2007. Employees who are not yet using ERS are to continue using SRFC for reimbursement and should start using the new travel support form (pdf) for backup.