Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Best Cheap Hotel Deals

By Dane Masters

Everyone deserves a vacation. But, not everyone can always afford a vacation. Travel can be incredibly expensive these days, with hidden fees and extra charges coming out of nowhere. If you're looking to travel for less money, there are cheap hotel deals to be found. If you're willing to do a little bit of research and call places in advance, you are guaranteed to find some cheap hotel deals.

The most important thing to remember when you are searching for a good deal on a hotel is that cheap does not have to mean poor quality. It really isn't worth it to save money if you are staying in an uncomfortable bed inside a flea ridden hotel room in a dodgy part of town. What you want to find is a nice hotel that for one reason or another is offering a great deal.

If you're looking to travel for pleasure, whether it be with family, friends or solo, take some time to look into what kind of cheap hotel deals you can find. If saving money isn't an issue, than you shouldn't even be reading this article. However, if you are a typical traveler like myself who cannot afford tons of luxury, ask yourself how educated you are on what your destination has to offer.

Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, the time you take to find a great hotel room will yield results that will save you many dollars. Start with high end hotels and work your way down, you may surprise yourself by finding a great deal at a hotel that is normally way outside your normal affordability.

The first thing you need to do is to decide where you are going, and approximately which area you plan to stay. Then make a list of hotels you like in the area. You may want to start by checking out the hotel's website first to see if they offer any deals by booking online. If that doesn't yield results then try calling the hotel's reservation desk directly. With a small amount of polite inquiry, you may be able to unearth unadvertised deals, or even find a friendly reservation clerk who can find you a staff or company special.

Start your search on the Internet by checking out the hotel websites. Many will offer big savings by booking for certain lengths of time or just by booking online. Some offer savings if you have an affiliation with CAA or other memberships. If you don't find a great deal online, then prepare to call the hotel and butter up the reservation desk. They have the inside track to deals that aren't advertised and should be able to find something to fit your budget.

Checking out all these hotel's websites and then calling them will probably yield the best results, but may not be the best use of your personal time. Instead you may want to check out a travel website like www.expedia.com or www.travelocity.com where you can enter a range of dates and destination. They will return a list of hotels that are available on those dates and their best rates. You can save even more money by booking your hotel along with your flight, and by being flexible with your dates.

If you still aren't having any luck try adjusting your dates to see if you can get a better deal. Occasionally the website will offer travel advisors at no charge, give them a call and see if they can help you out. After you book your trip all that's left is to pack your bags and enjoy! - 15790

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