Office of Budget and Finance

Suites or Luxury Accommodations – Fiscal Policy FI0705

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of Fiscal Policy FI0705 is to provide policies and procedures on the allowance of travel expenditures. The policy provides guidance on lodging and allowable expenditures related to lodging.

In addition to the policy outlined in Fiscal policy 705, the Knoxville campus requires Central prior approval on multi-room suites or luxury accommodations such as concierge-level. Lodging other than conference hotels, are subject to the Travel Reimbursement Rate Schedule which can be found in policy. However, expensive deluxe accommodations are not allowed unless the business purpose requires such an accommodation.

Procedures

When special circumstances warrant a particular business need, the traveler must submit a request in writing to the CBO or their designee. The request must include the traveler’s name, dates of the trip, and the business purpose of the accommodation.

The request must be approved prior to the travel. If a free upgrade is allowed in which there are no additional costs to the University, the prior approval is not required.

Definition

Convention Industry Council Glossary defines suite as “Combination of interconnecting rooms generally containing a sitting room with a half-bathroom and one or more sleeping rooms.”

Suites for Conducting Official Interviews

When requesting pre-approval for the rental of a suite for an interview, the request must state the purpose of the suite. Further, the UT employee responsible for the rental of the suite must attest to the following in a statement accompanying the prior approval request:

• interviews will not be conducted in non-suite hotel rooms
• two or more University affiliates will be present for the interview (please state the names of those to be present in the prior approval request)
• accommodations such as sleeping arrangements will not be visible during the interview
• no personal items of the interviewers will be visible during the interview
• and that the length of the interview will be (x minutes or approximately x minutes, not to exceed x minutes); i.e., state the length of the interview in the prior approval request.

Request for Prior Approval Form

Questions regarding the supplemental policy on Lodging should be directed to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration 865-974-4202.