Site inspections are essential to ensuring a successful event. In addition to inspecting meeting locations, it is also important to inspect the hotel you plan to use.

Provide the following specifications to the Bureau prior to your site visit and each hotel will be prepared to show you exactly what you need to see:

• What are your exact room requirements? How many single, double and suite rooms will be utilized?
• Do you have planned meal functions? How many? When? For how many?
• What are your housing requirements? Who is handling your housing?
• How do you handle registration? Will assistance be necessary?
• What other special service requirements might your group need?
• What is your group's room payment history?

Site Visit Checklist

Use the following site inspection checklist as you walk through the hotel. This form will keep you focused on what's important, and you'll have all the details in writing when you return home again. Please make copies and use one form for each hotel.

• Type of hotel (downtown, suburban, airport, resort, and conference center)
• Contacts at the hotel
  • Sales Manager
  • Banquet Manager
  • Conference Services Manager
  • General Manager
• Accessibility to transportation/airport
• Parking/costs
• Number of rooms:
  • Singles
  • Doubles
  • Kings
  • Queens
  • Suites
  • Parlors
  • Other
• Published rates for singles, doubles, suites, etc?
• Taxes
• Service charge policy for individual & group rooms. Food service?
• Is there a room guarantee policy?
• Check-in and checkout times?
• Credit cards accepted?
• Does hotel pre-register guests?
• Billing policies - (master billing: rooms to company or individual; other charges to company or individual)?
• Quality of appointments and upkeep?
• Planned renovations and timing?
• Guest services - valet, room service, in-house movies, 24-hour concierge, twice-daily maid service, and complimentary shoe shining?
• Special services for VIPs?
• In-house dining, entertainment, recreational services, room service and shopping?
• Specialty restaurants, entertainment and shopping?
• In-house and contractual meeting services - audio-visual, interpreting and translating, photocopying and shipping?
• Hospitality room guidelines?

Once you return home we suggest you review your survey forms and narrow down your selection to two or three properties. If your board must vote on the location, recap the attributes of each and prepare a recommendation based on your group's criteria.

Making a Decision

Consider the following attributes when weighing which hotel option to choose.

• Does hotel have the guestrooms you require available on your preferred dates?
• What are the guestroom rates for your group?
• How will reservations be handled and guaranteed?
• What is the cut-off date for room reservations?
• What is the complimentary guestroom policy?
• Will there be other groups in the hotel at the time of your meeting/event?
• Will there be activities in the hotel that can affect your functions (rehearsals, construction, and motivational meetings)?
• Access to and rates for spa, golf, tennis, swimming pool and other sports?
• Does the hotel have access to the Internet in its rooms? Costs?
• Does the hotel have telephones available in its meeting rooms? Costs?
• What meeting services will be provided?
• Does the hotel have the meeting/banquet space you require?
• Ask for fact sheets, floor plans and capacity charts.
• What are the meeting/banquet room charges?
• What in-house and outside services are offered?
• Availability of audio-visual equipment, electrical voltage and outlets? Costs?
• Sample menus and prices?
• What are the taxes and service charges on food functions?
• What is the meal guarantee policy?