Hotels Best way to get the Best rates?

[LaDonna]

we are thinking of getting a room instead of staying with family for a couple of nights for the Holidays...............I've looked at all the Expedia, Orbitz places but they seem to be the same price as the websites are stating on their sites..... is there any other way of getting a good price, has anyone ever called up a hotel and asked if they could go any lower? I've heard of like the Duggers going in and negotiating I don't want to wait until I'm walking in, but i could wait until the day or 2 before and call a few????

 

[NotUrsula]

Where? Generally speaking you will pay more in smaller towns than in larger cities, but some places have local better deals.ers. Whereabouts do you need to go?

 

[CowboyCO]

I use Hotwire. Then I research on betterbidding.com to figure what hotel it likely is before I purchase. I just booked 2 nights in Albuquerque this weekend at a Holiday Inn Suites for $53 a night instead of $90 during a busy bowl weekend.

 

[LaDonna]

Louisville ky.....and we want to make sure we stay around the airport, my dh just found a pretty good rate I think thru his work though(we don't do hotels a whole lot except for Disney so I'm not sure on really what is good and what isn't) for $75 a night at a ComfortSuites that comes with breakfast and indoor heated pool, that is for 5 of us.

 

[maggiew]

Marriott has a price guarantee policy that if you find a better price on another website, they will match the price PLUS give you 25% off that price. It can't be blind bidding type sites, but any regular site will work.

I got the Fairfield Inn in Little Lake Bryan by Disney for $44 using that.

Maggie

 

[Sandy321]

near the airport - check out roomsavers.com! They have a print book that is displayed in airports - and other areas around bigger towns in touristy type towns - like at Denny's or Steak n Shakes - as you go in to those places there is a display of "newspaper/magazine" FREE -

well, anyway - roomsavers is for "walk in" rates for hotels - but online you can gauge the availability - and sometimes get good rates - just print the coupon out at home! not sure where - but I did a quick search and there is a comfort inn for $59 a night

ETA - checked the fine print - its an extra $10 for 5 people!!

Also, for availability I check hotels.com - then I also go to betterbidding.com (it takes a lot of reading initially to get a grasp on it - but you can see what other people are getting for rooms - and it does talk you through it - I used to do priceline a lot - now it depends, I truly hate some hotels - esp Extended Stay hotels, they have one bed and are ridiculous in my experience!)

 

[LaDonna]

Hotels.com is showing a SpringHillsuits for $71 a night, that is with hot breakfast and indoor pool, where would it say if there was an additional charge for extra person? All I could find was
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy

and when going directly thru SpringHills site I don't see anything about a 5th person, it does say max occupancy 6

 

[LaDonna]

Marriott has a price guarantee policy that if you find a better price on another website, they will match the price PLUS give you 25% off that price. It can't be blind bidding type sites, but any regular site will work.

I got the Fairfield Inn in Little Lake Bryan by Disney for $44 using that.

Maggie

SO the SpringHillSuites by Marriott that I just found on Hotels.com for $71 a night I can call them and ask for %25 off of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????

 

[CowboyCO]

SO the SpringHillSuites by Marriott that I just found on Hotels.com for $71 a night I can call them and ask for %25 off of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????

You have to make the reservation through the marriott site and then file an online claim for the price guarantee.

 

[LaDonna]

You have to make the reservation through the marriott site and then file an online claim for the price guarantee.

I guess for some reason if they don't approve my claim I can cancel w/ no penalties......I'm thinking it just said 24hr notice for cancellation

 

[maggiew]

SO the SpringHillSuites by Marriott that I just found on Hotels.com for $71 a night I can call them and ask for %25 off of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????

Here is the information on Marriott's Look No Further guarantee:
https://www.marriott.com/hotel-rates/travel.mi

What you need to do is book the same room on the marriot website. The price on the Marriott website needs to be more than the price you found on another site. You submit the claim form and say that you found a cheaper rate on another site (hotels.com). If its a valid claim, you will get a response within a day or so saying they reviewed the claim and the new price will be ... (25% of whatever the lower price was). You never actually book with the hotels.com site.

A couple things to keep in mind,
1. The Marriott price must be higher. If its the same, the guarantee doesn't work.
2. The rooms must be the same type (e.g. king room, junior suite, etc.)
3. Conditions must be the same (advanced purchase or non-refunable, etc. don't work, I don't believe).
4. If you need to cancel, you need to get in touch with the Look No Further Marriott people. The hotel itself can't cancel it. So its a little bit more of a pain to cancel than a regular reservation. But it is still cancellable.

Maggie

 

[maggiew]

Hotels.com is showing a SpringHillsuits for $71 a night, that is with hot breakfast and indoor pool, where would it say if there was an additional charge for extra person? All I could find was
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy

and when going directly thru SpringHills site I don't see anything about a 5th person, it does say max occupancy 6

I've had 5 people in a SHS room before and never had to pay extra. That's the beauty of that particular hotel. We often stay in SHS for the night before cruises when we bring my mom along which makes 5 people.

Maggie

 

[mnasf]

In cases like yours, we bid priceline. You can look at betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com to see what people are getting. You'll only want to bid airport area. But there may be some free "rebids". I would go for a 5 star. However, there is that chance you might only get one bed so it might not feel worth it to you. Our kids are 17,12, and 7. We often bid two rooms now and can get two rooms for the price on one. Good luck to you!

we are thinking of getting a room instead of staying with family for a couple of nights for the Holidays...............I've looked at all the Expedia, Orbitz places but they seem to be the same price as the websites are stating on their sites..... is there any other way of getting a good price, has anyone ever called up a hotel and asked if they could go any lower? I've heard of like the Duggers going in and negotiating I don't want to wait until I'm walking in, but i could wait until the day or 2 before and call a few????