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| Travel Site Directory > Hotels |
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HOTEL RESERVATION DISCOUNTERS
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 Helpful Tip: Often the best hotel room rates are offered a
few weeks prior to the reservation date. However, instead of waiting and possibly not getting a room at all, go ahead and
book your room early - but check the cancellation policy. As you get closer to your travel date, look around and see if any
last minute deals are being offered. If you find a price difference that's lower than the cancellation fee (if a fee exists
at all), make a new reservation & cancel the original one.
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The Big Three: Expedia.com | Orbitz | Travelocity
1 800 USA Hotels  - Look for the hotels noted "best deal"
or "great rate". These are specially negotiated rates that can't be found at other sites. To see a list of all hotels in your city with these rates, click on the
"more discount hotel rates" link at the bottom of the main page, then select your city.
All-Hotels - This site tends to be a little on the slow side, but sometimes it is
really worth the wait. Don't bother with all the search results, the best deals are located on the "Discount Hotels" tab.
Hotels.com - You might have heard about this site on TV. The commercial has two dorks
in a cab comparing their hotel rates. It's owned by the same company who owns Expedia.com. However, even though the same company
owns both sites, the rates can be very different. They occasionally have some good deals, but my main beef is the cancellation
policy. They nail you with a $20 charge for any cancellations or changes.
Lodging.com - The best deals here are on the first page of the search results. They're
labeled "Exclusive Rates". Don't bother looking at the rest of the site. It's difficult to find anything (all hotels in the city are
listed in alphabetical order even if they're unavailable), plus the rates aren't that great.
OctopusTravel - This is a good place for hotels around the world. Check out
the section on the right for the hottest deals. Also, they have a price promise where if you find a better rate within 48 hours they'll refund you the difference.
PlacesToStay - The deals here are rare, but can be very good. It's a little annoying because
the rate you see on the search results is not always the actual rate. It's what rates "start at". So, you have to dig a little
bit to get the price. If nothing else, it's the most colorful site on the list, and worth a visit.
Quikbook - Unlike other sites, every rate listed has been specially negotiated by
Quikbook. Because of this, you'll really only find hotels in the larger cities, and the selection is limited. However, you're almost guaranteed to find the best rates for those hotels
that are listed. Look for the ones marked "QSaver" for the best deals.
Southwest - Not many people think to go to Southwest Airline's website for hotel reservations,
but I've managed to find quite a few deals there! Note that hotels are only available in the cities Southwest flies to.
Turbotrip - If you're looking for a hotel in a major city, this site is one of the best. If
your city appears as a link on the front page, click on it. For some reason the search box returns different results (and higher prices)
than clicking on the city name. Also, when you're putting in your arrival date, select the "All Hotels" option, as opposed
to "Special Rates". Even the non-special rates can be good here.
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