GSA boosts per diem rates in three cities

Those three cities are also being added to the Federal Premier Lodging Program (), which was integrated into the per diem rate-setting process this year. Under FPLP, hotels guarantee that a certain number of rooms will be available within the applicable per diem rates. Previously, there was no guarantee that this rate would be available. Thirty-eight properties in Washington, D.C., 14 in Seattle and six in the Portland area will be added to the FPLP, increasing the opportunities for federal employees to secure affordable lodging in those areas when traveling on official government business. According to GSA, federal travelers complained most about lodging prices in Washington. Two years ago, GSA ran a successful pilot version of the program in Boston before expanding the program to other cities. Recent contracts were awarded in Chicago; Denver; Jefferson County, Colo.; and New York. Other contracts are pending in Baltimore, Memphis, Tenn., Miami, Atlanta and Boston. GSA plans to have contracts in all of the top 75 government travel destinations by June 2002. Until the contracts are negotiated, per diem rates for those locations will remain the same. A complete list of per diem rates can be downloaded on GSA's . Federal employees can also submit complaints about locations where there are frequently no vacancies at hotels within that area's maximum per diem rate online at GSA's Web site.