Choosing A Hotel

Define your needs, but be creative. Focus on hotels that will best meet your needs. Amenities, location, and price all come into play in making a determination, but be creative.

For example, high-end business hotels, which do most of their business during the work week, often drop their weekend rates just to fill rooms. Weekend leisure travelers might miss the best deal in town simply because they never considered staying at a business hotel.

Likewise, business-oriented hotels often have higher weekday rates than vacation properties just because they have on-site business centers and amenities such as in-room fax machines and work desks. But the proliferation of portable faxes, powerful laptop computers, and other digital-communication devices has diminished the need for these perks, so don't pay a higher rate for amenities you won't use. And since most business travelers use cell phones regardless of where they are staying, clients won't know whether they're calling you at the Plaza or the Quality Inn. (Your boss might appreciate the money-saving gesture, too.) 

Be flexible when possible. All aspects of travel are based on supply and demand, so be aware of your destination's peak season. If it's from December through April and you're coming at the end of April, you might save hundreds of dollars if you change your travel dates by a week or two. (Many properties will charge you the peak-season rate for your entire stay even if you straddle the change between peak and nonpeak seasons, so ask when the rates go down.)

Make use of frequent-flier miles. If you have a credit card that gives you frequent-flier miles for purchases, contact the company (or visit its Web site) and ask about hotel deals or promotions during the time you'll be traveling. Also check with the airline(s) on which you have frequent-flier miles. Web sites such as www.webflyer.com track current promotions and offer tips about maximizing your miles.

Check the Web. To draw customers into booking online, major hotel chains offer Web-only deals you might not hear about over the phone. The Web is also a great place to find reviews of a single property, as well as pictures, maps, and even video clips that will help you narrow down your options. On many Web sites, you can find out what other travelers have to say about individual properties.

Repeat customers of chain hotels can save time by registering on the chain's Web site and creating a user profile. (Many independent properties also offer this service.) This way, your preferences -- for no-smoking rooms or a king-size bed -- can be automatically included in each reservation. You can store your credit-card information, too, which will save time, and you'll usually be able to confirm or cancel reservations online even if you didn't book online.