How to Find Great Hotel Deals

It's a lot easier to find great deals on hotels than you might think. Most hotels post their standard rates in their brochures and on their websites, but you can do much better if you know where to look. In searching for discounted rates, the internet will be your greatest tool.

There are many websites that exist solely to help people find discounted hotel rooms, and lots of others that list great deals on hotels in addition to discounts on plane flights and rental cars. You'll be surprised by the great rates you can find on luxury hotels and theme hotels. Many people think that getting discounted hotel rooms means that they'll be sleeping in run down motels. This is not usually the case. In fact, you can book rooms at many very upscale hotels for very low rates if you know how to do it.

Start by scouring the most popular travel websites. You'll find great deals on hotel rooms, as well as many discount vacation packages which include airfare and ground transportation. If you find a hotel advertised as part of a full travel package, you can often call up their reservations department and negotiate the discounted rate even if you don't want to purchase a flight or rent a car. Most travel websites also have user forums, which can be very helpful in finding the best deals.

Other travelers will post their comments and share their experiences with particular hotels. You can start a thread asking for hotel recommendations in the area you are traveling to. You'll be surprised by how helpful other frequent travelers can be. Often times the best tips come from these forums.

Don't forget to also check out deals offered through your corporate or social club memberships. Many hotels offer discounted rates to members of employee unions, as well as to veterans, retirees, alumni associations, professional organizations, auto club members, scout groups and more. Many banks and credit card companies have promotional deals available for their clients.

To find out about these, call a customer service representative at your credit card company or visit their website. In addition, most airline frequent flier programs allow you to use the miles you've earned to book rooms at participating hotels. The bottom line is don't give up. With enough research and a little perseverance, you're bound to find a way to save money on your next vacation.