Lodging

How to Book University-Paid Travel

The preferred method for booking university business travel is through the TravelUVA online booking tool or a designated Christopherson Business Travel advisor. 

Email: UVA@CBTravel.com

Phone: 844-488-2228 (M-F, 8am-8pm ET)

Lodging Limit

A single night lodging limit of $300/night is recommended. However, this rate may be exceeded when necessary. If the rate is $600/night or more, justification is required along with additional approval by the Senior Department Finance Approver. The single night limit refers to the daily rate not inclusive of taxes and surcharges, which may also be reimbursed. Non-refundable lodging is not allowed.

Certain fund sources may have more restrictive lodging limits. Always check prior to booking.  

Conference Hotels

Conference hotels cannot be booked through Concur. Conference hotel rates should be booked directly through the conference.

Government Rates

Some hotels offer government rates to federal and state government employees while others offer these reduced rates only to federal employees. Before reserving a room at a government rate, check the terms on the hotel's site. If the traveler does not qualify, the reduced government rate may not be honored at check-in.

UVA employees may book a state government rate if booking a hotel within Virginia. For hotels outside of Virginia, UVA employees will not qualify for the state government rates.

Alternative Lodging (i.e. Airbnb, VRBO)

Alternative lodging follows the same policy as hotel lodging with the exception of the following:

T&E cards may not be used to purchase accommodations with Airbnb and similar services such as VRBO or Homeaway, although travelers may personally pay for these reservations and be reimbursed by the University. Use of your T&E card for these purchases is considered a violation of T&E card policy and could result in card suspension or cancellation. If your T&E card is used for Airbnb or similar lodging, please be aware that you are accepting personal responsibility for any incidents that may occur during your stay. 

As you may know, hotels and other commercial properties carry insurance that covers their guests in case of injury or property loss. The type of properties offered via Airbnb and similar services vary widely in the type of coverage available for guests (if they offer any at all). Because of this, we do not recommend their use for University business.

We do understand, however, that this option might best suit your needs or the experience you want to have when you travel. There may be occasions where choosing Airbnb might be a less expensive option, or perhaps there are limited accommodations in the area. In those cases, you may pay for these accommodations and submit the cost through Workday Expenses for reimbursement. However, if you choose to utilize these services, please be aware that you are accepting personal responsibility for any incidents that may occur during your stay. The university is also not responsible for any fees associated with cancellation. 

Paying for Hotels

Hotel reservations are NOT pre-paid through TravelUVA or most other booking sources. T&E Card is the preferred method of payment. If the traveler is not a T&E cardholder, the travel assistant should call the hotel after confirming the reservation to charge the room to the assistant's T&E card. The traveler will still need to present a credit card in their name at check-in for incidentals. Alternatively, the traveler may pay on own and request reimbursement after the trip (see Paying for Travel). 

• For local hotels where UVA holds a contract, the travel assistant may call the hotel and give their T&E Card information over the phone or through a secure site like Sertifi. A written third-party credit card authorization form is not required. Card information should never be sent over email or fax.  
• For non-local hotels, pre-payment arrangements should be made by contacting the hotel after confirming the reservation. A third-party credit card authorization form may be required, however, the full 16-digit card number should not be written on the form. Instead, you may complete the form with only the last 4 digits of the card number and call the hotel to provide the remaining information, or you can provide it through a secure site like Sertifi. Card information should never be sent over email or fax. 

Non-refundable hotel bookings are not allowed.  

Please note, some departments may have more restrictive internal policies. Travelers should always consult their department’s specific guidelines and procedures before making travel purchases. 

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