Best way to get a hotel discount?

[dane]

Looking to get a good rate on a local hotel... but I can't go the priceline "name your price" route because:

• I want a particular hotel [embassy suites]
• ..in a particular city
• ..on a particular night

So how to I get their standard $119/night room for less?

I'm a very IN-frequent traveller, so I don't know the "tips and tricks" of the trade..

thanks in advance,
..dane

[mojomike]

Are you a AAA member? If not, find a AAA member and have them book it. Typically it saves 5%.

[woofersus]

Are you a AAA member? There are frequently discounts available for that. You might also try some online reservation sites, like expedia or travelocity, and search for that particular hotel on that night. Sometimes referral sites like that have negotiated slightly better prices. Just look it up on a number of different sites and see which one shows the lowest price. If all else fails and the $119 on their website is the only thing you can find, call them and ask point blank what the "best rate" available on that room is. They may bump you to some sort of business rate or something because they need the business. The worst that can happen is they tell you the same as what the website says. Good luck!

[Uncle Paul]

I usually just call the hotel direct, and ask them what discounts they might have available.

Sometimes it just depends on how full they are. If you are going to a convention sometimes the convention rate is higher than you can get on your own, but just as often you can get even a better price by yourself.

[devotiondoubt]

I use a combination of hotwire, priceline, and betterbidding.com to procure all of my hotels rooms.

What city and night are you looking at? I'll see what I come up with in regards to Embasssy Suites.

[Uncle Paul]

Book online with 14 day advance and save 15 %:thumbsup:

Advance Purchase Rates - Rules and Restrictions:
Subject to availability at participating hotels in the Americas. Must book 14 days in advance between 1/1/09 – 3/17/09 and stay by 3/31/09. Discount varies by hotel brand (e.g. 15% at Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites hotels) and relates to "Best Available Rate" which is a specific rate type depending on time of purchase, is unrestricted, non-qualified and excludes discount rates.

[Rondar]

Heyyyy, dont forget about the AARP discount too:neener:

[NekoAudio]

I usually just call the hotel direct, and ask them what discounts they might have available.

Sometimes it just depends on how full they are. If you are going to a convention sometimes the convention rate is higher than you can get on your own, but just as often you can get even a better price by yourself.

+1 This tends to work best. Just don't _tell_ them it must be their hotel on that specific night. :p

[dane]

thanks everybody! alas wife and I decided to go another route... so no hotel necessary now ... oh well! :)

will tuck all these tips away for next time though!

thanks,
..dane

[Kevin_Wadsworth]

I had never called a hotel before, believing in the almighty power of the internet to get the best deal (plus I don't like talking to people!). But I couldn't find anything satisfactory for a recent ski trip over to Seven Springs, so my wife gave them a call and asked if they had any deals going.

She ended up getting about thalf the price of anything I could find online, with a bunch of free stuff thrown in on top. Amazing.