Lodging Rates
Reimbursement for lodging (hotel, room, hostel, house, etc.) is limited to actual expenses incurred up to the CONUS and OCONUS rates, plus taxes and surcharges. Expenses in excess of the guidelines may be reimbursed up to 100% overage when proper justification can be provided.
Lodging limits must follow the CONUS and OCONUS rate tables.
https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates
Should the conference lodging rate exceed the 100% overage allowance, exceptions may be granted for a reasonable and necessary lodging rate by the Authorized Approver with conference documentation.
Alternative Lodging and 3rd Party Booking
When booking accommodations outside of traditional hotels or motels-such as Airbnb, VRBO, or private apartment rentals – or when reserving hotels through online travel websites, travelers are strongly encouraged to carefully review all cancellation, refund, and prepayment policies, as well as any additional fees. Unlike traditional hotels and motels, which oftentimes carry insurance that cover guests in case of injury or property loss and allow cancellations with a full refund up to 24 hours before arrival, alternative lodging providers and travel websites may:
- Charge additional fees for insurance coverage or may not have coverages
- Enforce stricter cancellation policies
- Require full prepayment prior to the travel date
- Offer limited or no refund options
Travelers are discouraged from booking lodging with cancellation policies that do not offer a full refund when cancelled with at least one day’s notice.
Alternative lodging contracts paid by Purchase Order must be sent to contracts@vcu.edu for approval. Contract processing can take up to ten (10) business days.
Lodging Rates and Reimbursable Fees
The lodging rate limits outlined in the Lodging Rates section above apply to both alternative lodging options and hotel rooms booked through travel websites. Some applicable fees may be included in the nightly rate calculation. If the lodging receipt is not itemized, the GSA rate will be based on the total receipt amount.
Fees included in the allowable nightly rate calculation:
- Cleaning fees
- Service fees
- Reservation/Booking fees
Non-Canceled Reservations
Communicate travel plan changes as soon as possible when a confirmed reservation is being held. Since charges may be incurred for non-cancelled reservations, these charges will not be reimbursed if the traveler is negligent in canceling reservations.
Shared Lodging
When multiple individuals share non-luxury lodging, the Authorized Approver may approve lodging rates that are less than the lodging guideline applicable to the travel destination multiplied by the number of official business travelers in the room.
Advance Payments
Advance prepayments are highly discouraged on personal credit cards because these charges are not reimbursed until after travel has been completed. If an advance payment is required, it may be accomplished using a department PCard. Please contact corpcard for additional assistance - corpcard@vcu.edu.
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