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Before you make a reservation at any hotel, make sure you're getting a good hotel at the best price.

Discount hotels: How to save on your next hotel room

Check prices on at least three separate reservation Web sites, such as those found in the Travelhammer Reservation Center. Also:

• If you are a AAA, Entertainment book, or AARP member, be sure to inquire about special pricing (even if the hotel is not listed in your membership material). Active duty military or government employees may be entitled to special pricing as well.
• Find out if your hotel is currently running any special promotions.
• Airline frequent flyer program members often receive discount coupons for hotels. Hang on to those coupons and make every attempt to use them when you book hotel reservations. It's possible to get great two-nights-for-one coupon deals for upscale hotels.
• If you're attending a convention, don't automatically assume that the "convention rate" is the best price. Instead, ask the reservationist about all of the special discount pricing options listed above.
• Take advantage of the weekend discount rates hotels use to attract the leisure traveler during the hotels slowest period of the week.
• If you have a particular hotel chain that you like, check its Web site for special Internet pricing. Before booking, double check the Internet pricing against the quote provided by the hotel's reservation number. Try to use as many combinations of the above tips as you can.

Discount hotels: Booking tips

• When booking a hotel reservation, always obtain a confirmation number. If booking online, you can usually print out this information along with your arrival, departure, and pricing information. If you book over the phone, ask the reservationist to fax or mail you a statement of confirmation. Have this information with you when you arrive at the hotel in case the hotel goofed up your reservation.
• Obtain a cancellation number when canceling your credit-card-guaranteed reservation to avoid unwanted charges.
• If you're booking a special request room (e.g., non-smoking), ask if the hotel "guarantees" that the special request will be honored. Most hotels will respond with, "We will make our best effort." This not a guarantee. Some hotels--Marriott, for example--will truly guarantee certain requests.
• Arrive at your hotel early in the day to ensure that you keep your room reservation. Hotels overbook rooms in the same way airlines do, so although you may have a credit-card-guaranteed reservation, you may end up with no room if you arrive late in the day. If you know that you'll be arriving late in the day, make sure the hotel notes your late arrival with your reservation.
• Call the hotel reservation number two days prior to your arrival just to double check that the hotel knows who you are and that you will in fact be arriving as planned. If you will be checking in late, the hotel needs to know this if you want to avoid being "walked" due to your hotel being overbooked.

Discount hotels: Location, location, location

• Before you travel, look at a map of your destination city. Use it to figure out which area of the city you'd like to stay in. If you want to stay in a safe and tourist-friendly part of a city, look at the areas surrounding upscale hotels such as Hyatt, Hilton, or Carlton. If you can't afford to pay upscale prices, try to locate more affordable hotels in close proximity to the upscale hotels. Remember, however, that the "bad" side of town may be just a block or two away from the upscale facilities. It never hurts to call a hotel and ask them what type of area they're situated in, but take their answers with a grain of salt, because everything is relative.

Oh, and one more tip: If you're traveling on a night flight and you don't need a rental car first thing in the morning, you can save a day of car rental charges by booking at a hotel located close to the airport. Most of these hotels offer courtesy van service to and from the airport, so you can pick up you car the next day after you're well rested. No need to rent if you aren't going to drive right away.

Find great rates and make your hotel reservations now in the Travelhammer Reservation Center.

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