Table of contents:

General Guidelines

Lodging expenses must not exceed the single occupancy rate. It is the traveler’s responsibility to exercise prudent judgment in selection of a place to stay. When booking in-state accommodations inform the reservation clerk that the traveler is with a State of Idaho agency so the room charges will be sales tax exempt. Some hotels do not require an official document in order to grant exemption from state and local taxes. In other cases a copy of the tax exemption document may be needed. A copy of the College’s tax exemption certificate is available on the Purchasing Department website.

Lodging Receipts

Detail receipts are required for employee lodging. The receipt must provide daily itemized activity, the name and the location of the establishment, date, amount, explanation of the charges, and the method of payment. 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 above requirements are met. Personal expenses charged to the hotel bill such as in-room movies, laundry, mini-bar service, grooming, or use of exercise facilities are not reimbursable and should not be included in a direct bill to the College.

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 service or a rental car, and the ability to interact with other conference attendees.

Online Hotel Booking

When utilizing online hotel booking, it is not always possible to obtain a receipt from the hotel. Often, the hotel does 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 for the first night’s lodging payable when the reservation is made. In this event, the traveler's credit card may be charged months in advance of the travel. The traveler may seek reimbursement in advance by requesting an additional check on the Travel Authorization Request. The traveler can attach proof of payment to the Travel Authorization Request and a check will be issued prior to travel date. When the traveler settles his or her account at the end of the trip, the amount of the advance will be offset against the amount of reimbursement.

If a trip is canceled and a hotel reservation is no longer needed, it is the traveler's responsibility to initiate the cancellation. 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 the comment field on the travel Expense Claim form.

Direct Billings

A direct bill for lodging expenses may be requested at participating hotels. It is the responsibility of the traveler to confirm that a direct bill account has been established at the hotel.

Charges eligible for direct billing:

Room charges

Applicable taxes

Parking

Internet connections

Business phone calls

Charges not eligible for direct billing:

Personal expenses

Movies

Meal expenses

Laundry service

Personal phone calls

Some things to keep in mind:

·         It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain a detail lodging receipt.

·         The hotel name should be listed in the direct bill column on the travel Expense Claim form.

·         Departments are not authorized to complete or sign any credit applications. Please forward these requests to Accounts Payable.

Most commonly used direct bill vendors:

Boise:

            AmeriTel Inns

            Safari Inn Downtown

            Best Western Airport Motor Inn

            Shilo Inn Airport

            Doubletree Inn-Riverside

            Grove Hotel

            Owyhee Plaza

Coeur D’Alene:

            AmeriTel Inns

            The Coeur d’Alene

            Holiday Inn Express

            LaQuinta Inn

            Shilo Inn

Spokane:

            Ramada Inn Airport

            Mirabeau Park Hotel

            Shilo Inn

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