It's been my experience that you're just going to hem yourself in on last-minute fares.
One thing that I think it helps to keep in mind if you're just the average consumer is that the worst nightmare for a hotel manager is to have an empty room because it generates no revenue.
As a customer, it's always your prerogative to challenge a gratuity. You don't tip incompetent service.
Sometimes, it's a personal connection. It comes down to human contact. You have to decide how you feel about it.
But as your family grows and your considerations change, I think you would find it's certainly acceptable to arrive a few hours later, or even a day later.
I feel this is key because I think people assume that their families are going to want them at the house at a certain time,
If you're a leisure traveler, especially on a weekend, you might miss a really good deal if you don't look carefully at a business hotel.
