Yes, you did read that right.

You may have been looking at a chain hotel website recently comparing prices for an upcoming holiday. There is always that box that says ‘Special Rate Code’ or suchlike – you know the one with the options you are never eligible for. Well in that section there is usually a box that says AAA Rate.

The AAA is the American Automobile Association which in theory at least has little relevance to a UK audience. Except it does. It is also connected to other similar roadside assistance groups which fall under the umbrella of ARC Europe.

If you turn over an AA membership card you will likely see this logo

ARC Europe.png

This means you are entitled to various discounts including at hotel brands such as Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott.

Starwood, for example, offers discounts of up to 20% for AAA members and as this page on the Starwood website shows, UK members of the AA, as well as ARC Europe members are clearly also eligible for these discounts.

Here is an example of a stay at the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton:

 

AA discount - Hilton 1.png
Hilton, Southampton using AAA rate

 

Using the AAA rate in this instance would save you £2.

Here is an example from the W Miami, Florida:

AA discount - SPG 2
W Miami using AAA rate 

In this example, the savings look much better. You would save £44 by using the AAA rate.

HOW TO BOOK

A number of hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood have an option within their booking search engine to select the AAA rate.

Using the Hilton website as an example, you need to visit Hilton.com, click ‘Advanced Search’ and then click on the box that says ‘Add a Special Rate Code’. 

Your page should then look like the screenshot below.

 

AA discount - Hilton 2.png
Hilton booking page

 

You can then compare this alongside the regular rates and evaluate the savings.

To book Marriott hotels there doesn’t appear to be an option to select the ‘AAA rate’. Instead, you should go via the dedicated AAA page on the Marriott website.

VERDICT

Using the AAA rate can result in some really good hotel discounts and is always worth comparing when you are looking at booking a hotel. This can vary though, I have seen the AAA rate work out more expensive than the regular rate and other times throw up some excellent discounts worth over £100.

If you have AA membership you may well have learned a new perk of your card. Alternatively, if your breakdown cover is up for renewal and there is nothing to choose between the prices being offered by various suppliers, this may be something else to think about. This may turn out to be a good investment as AA membership cards have no expiry date on them…

As a Xexec client, you can currently save up to 34% on AA Breakdown Cover by calling 0800 048 0075 and quoting code: F0667. 

Find out more on this page here.