If you are searching for the GSA conference lodging allowance, here is the short version: it does not exist anymore. GSA removed it from the Federal Travel Regulation in a final rule published October 31, 2013, part of a retrospective regulatory review. Before that, federal travelers could be reimbursed up to 25 percent more than the established lodging per diem rate when a conference hotel cost more than the cap. That option is gone. What replaced it is a different, more paperwork-heavy set of routes, and most of the confusion around conference hotels comes from people following advice written before the rule changed.
What the allowance was
The old conference lodging allowance (CLA) was simple. When lodging was not available at the established per diem rate because you were attending a conference, the sponsoring agency or your travel approving official could authorize reimbursement above the lodging cap, up to 25 percent over. It applied to government-sponsored conferences and to government employees attending non-government conferences. It was a narrow, purpose-built exception: conferences cluster everyone in one hotel, that hotel charges a conference rate, and the rate exceeds per diem through no fault of the traveler.
Why GSA removed it
The 2013 final rule folded conference lodging into the broader actual expense framework instead of keeping a separate allowance. The reasoning was redundancy: the FTR already had an actual expense provision that covers exactly this situation, so a second, conference-specific mechanism was one more rule to maintain. The trade-off landed on travelers. The old allowance was a modest, well-understood 25 percent bump with a straightforward authorization. What replaced it is the general actual expense process, which allows more but demands more.
What replaced it: three routes
Route one is actual expense reimbursement. Under FTR 301-11.17, if lodging is not available at your temporary duty location, your agency may authorize up to 300 percent of the per diem rate for the location where you get lodging. For a $113 standard lodging cap, that is up to $339 a night with proper justification and pre-approval. The catch is in that last phrase: pre-approval. You need the authorization before you book, documented, with evidence that nothing at per diem was available. GSA's own FAQ tells travelers to check FedRooms first to confirm no per diem rooms exist in the area.
Route two is a negotiated conference rate approved in advance. Many agencies and conference organizers negotiate a block rate with the hotel. If that rate exceeds per diem, the agency can approve it ahead of time as part of the travel authorization. This is the closest modern equivalent to the old allowance, and it is the one to ask about first, because it is decided once for the whole conference instead of per traveler.
Route three is paying the difference yourself. If neither approval comes through and you stay at the conference hotel anyway, the overage is on you. Lodging reimbursement is actual cost up to the cap, not the cap itself, and the FTR does not let you mix and match: you cannot move unused meal money into the lodging bucket. The $68 M&IE and the $113 lodging cap are separate allowances, full stop.
The companion issue: conference meals
Conference travel also triggers the meal deduction rules. When meals are part of the registration fee or otherwise paid for by the government, you must deduct the GSA meal amounts from your M&IE allowance. For the standard $68 tier that is $16 for breakfast, $19 for lunch, $28 for dinner, plus $5 incidentals you keep. Hotel complimentary breakfasts and airline meals do not trigger the deduction. A 2009 FTR amendment clarified that agencies may allow the full M&IE in limited cases where an employee cannot consume the provided food for medical or religious reasons.
What to do before you book
Check the per diem rate for the conference city and month. Ask the conference organizer whether a negotiated rate exists and whether your agency has approved it. If the conference hotel exceeds the cap and no block rate is approved, start the actual expense request with your travel approver before booking anything, and check FedRooms for per diem availability to support it. The conference lodging allowance died in 2013. The paperwork that replaced it works, but only if it happens before the reservation, not after the stay.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get the GSA conference lodging allowance?
No. GSA removed the conference lodging allowance from the Federal Travel Regulation in a final rule published October 31, 2013. Travelers now use the general actual expense provision or an agency-approved negotiated conference rate instead.
What is the maximum I can be reimbursed for a conference hotel?
Up to 300 percent of the per diem rate through actual expense reimbursement, with agency approval obtained before booking. For the $113 standard lodging cap, that ceiling is $339 per night.
Do I need approval before booking a hotel over per diem?
Yes. Actual expense reimbursement requires pre-approval with documented justification that no lodging was available at the per diem rate. GSA advises checking FedRooms first to confirm per diem availability.
Can I use unused meal money to cover a hotel over per diem?
No. The FTR does not allow mixing and matching: lodging and M&IE are separate allowances, and unused meal money cannot be moved into the lodging bucket.
Do conference meals reduce my per diem?
Yes, when meals are included in the registration fee or paid for by the government. Deduct the GSA meal amounts from M&IE: $16 breakfast, $19 lunch, $28 dinner at the standard $68 tier. Complimentary hotel breakfasts and airline meals do not trigger the deduction.