This site provides numerous hotel booking secrets. The secrets are detailed in the numerous sections of this site, but there are some fundamental things that you should know before you book your next room. Here are some of the general basics:

Everything is Negotiable

This cannot be reiterated enough. If a hotel is not a full capacity – and this is true in most instances – they are willing to negotiate the booking rate in order to fill these extra rooms. It is improbable that they’ll be open to an excessively lowball offer in order not to distort the market, but in most instances they’ll be receptive to offering you a massive discount from the stated rates. They closer they are to the booking date with extra rooms, the higher the probability that they’ll negotiate. Hotels are a business just like anything else. They want to maximize their profits. If this means offering empty rooms at lower prices, then so be it.

The booking rate is not the only that this is negotiable. If you are bringing a car, you can ask for free parking or at least ask for a lower rate. Also ask for a free breakfast if it is not already included or lower calling rate for telephone calls. And don’t forget the fitness center if you plan on working out.

Rooms are Cheaper in the Evening

Many potential guests make hotel reservations in advance but many times do not end up showing up. Moreover, these reservations are not secured by a credit card. These no-shows pose a burden on the hotels because they end up with empty rooms and no revenue from reservations that they thought would be honored by the guests. This is where you can score a great deal if you’re trying to book a hotel for the same day. They have to wipe these reservations clean and they’re open to offering these rooms to new guests for bargain rates.

The time at which these original reservations are cancelled is normally 6:00 pm. For large high-occupancy cities – such as New York, Chicago and Washington – this can be as early as 4:00 pm. So if you’re looking to make a reservation by phone on the same day, considering calling sometime in the evening if you’re checking in late in the day, as opposed to making a call-in reservation in the morning.

Call the Hotel Directly Instead of the 800 Number

You will get a better rate by calling the hotel you want to stay in directly. Try to avoid calling the centralized call centers for the big hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott or Holiday Inn. Instead, if you want to stay in the Marriott New York, call the Marriott New York directly. Their employees will look more closely at the business of their individual hotels than the company’s off-cite call center.

Ask to speak with a manager when you call. These people have the authority to negotiate the room booking rates. Somebody working at an off-site center may not have this authority. Try not to ask for the reservations desk because many times their “reservations desk” is simply the call center, to which your call will be forwarded.

The Internet Doesn’t Always Give the Cheapest Rate

This is also something else that cannot be reiterated enough. Many people think that the facility that the Internet provides means that hotel rooms will always be cheaper on the Internet. Travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets and Hotels.com have become increasingly popular. In truth, though, the rates given on these sites are not really all that cheap. Sometimes you still have to pay $300 for a room in a big city. They don’t vary much from the rates on the hotels’ sites themselves.

In many instances these sites, as well as the hotel sites, provide a good starting point. But many times they are not the best deal. Use them first and foremost as an information resource to know what the current going rates are. Don’t rely on them exclusively. One site, though, that is incredibly useful for securing a cheap rate is Priceline. The ways to use Priceline effectively are discussed on another section on this site.


Loyalty Matters

Many hotels keep the contact information of guests that have stayed in the establishment. If you’re planning on to return to a city you have already visited in the past and you have stayed at a particular hotel before, try calling that hotel and tell them that you enjoyed your last visit. They will try to find your name in their database. From then on, try to negotiate the rate with a manager.

Being a returning guest provides incentive for the hotel to give a lower rate. This gives the perception that there be many more future visits and hence more business for the hotel. They will also think that you will vouch for them when your friends plan on visiting that specific city. Hence, providing a lower rate to you – a satisfied guest from the past – may prove advantageous to them in the long run.