On a business trip, Ed stayed 3 nights at a hotel where the room rate was $97 per night with a 6.72% hotel tax. What was the hotel bill? Round your answer to two decimal places.
To calculate Ed's total hotel bill, we must first determine the base cost of the stay. Ed stayed for \(3\) nights at a rate of \(\$97\) per night. The total room charge is calculated as:
\[3 \text{ nights} \times \$97/\text{night} = \$291\]
Next, we need to calculate the hotel tax. The tax rate is \(6.72\%\), which is equivalent to \(0.0672\) in decimal form. The tax amount is found by multiplying the total room charges by this tax rate:
\[\$291 \times 0.0672 = \$19.5552\]
Finally, we find the total bill by adding the room charges and the calculated tax:
\[\$291 + \$19.5552 = \$310.5552\]
Rounding this to two decimal places, we get \(\$310.56\). Thus, the total hotel bill is \(\boxed{\$310.56}\).
Calculating hotel bills is a practical application of percentage calculations in daily life, especially during travel. Understanding how taxes apply to base costs ensures that travelers can accurately budget for expenses and verify the accuracy of their final invoices. This same mathematical principle of applying a percentage-based rate to a subtotal is used in many other contexts, such as calculating sales tax on retail purchases, determining tip amounts in restaurants, or applying discounts to a price.