Lodging
Travelers are required to stay in hotels that are reasonable and appropriate for the business purpose and location, at the single occupancy rate.
- Stays or upgrades using rewards/miles/credits for accommodations, or gifts/gratuities in lieu of lodging at private residences are not allowable.
- No show fees, in which a reservation is made and not canceled or changed within the timeframe specified by the hotel, are not reimbursable unless a specific business purpose or proper justification is provided.
When reconciling lodging expenses, all original lodging receipts must be itemized and are required regardless of cost.
The University is exempt from Texas state hotel occupancy tax. Travelers should use an Exemption Certificate to avoid paying this tax. Information on potential exemption from the hotel tax of other states can be found in the Tax Manual. See Out of State Hotels.
Non-Conventional Lodging
Non-conventional, or alternative, lodging is accommodations in privately owned dwellings or untraditional in nature that are typically booked via Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway, and are now available on Booking.com, Expedia.com, and other third-party travel sites. Booking non-conventional lodging opportunities is not allowable or reimbursable unless an exception has been granted in advance.
Requests for an exception must be submitted via the Alternative Lodging Exception Form. The Alternative Lodging committee will review requests twice a month.
The University will not grant exceptions to stay in non-conventional lodging for:
- Any student travel (including undergraduate or graduate)
- International travel (unless exigent circumstance exist)
Failure to obtain an exception approval prior to booking or staying in non-conventional lodging will result in rejected expense reports and reimbursement requests.
Questions regarding the form or exception process should be directed to alt_lodging@baylor.edu.