Many discount travel sites have reduced rates for hotel rooms. You can book these rates at any time by reserving your room through the site and paying up front. But pre-paid hotel rooms are generally non-refundable, so if you cancel your trip or have an emergency, you won't get your money back. Waiting until the last minute to book your hotel rooms usually results in higher rates, because rates typically increase as it gets closer to the date of your stay. However, if you want to get good rates without pre-booking, attempt to negotiate with the hotel.
Know the best rate for the room. Before calling the hotel, or going into the hotel if you're a walk-in, look at the all available rates on the hotel's website. The lowest rate for most hotels will be the "pre-pay" rate or the "Federal employee/military discount" rate. Assume that this is the lowest rate that the hotel will accept when you begin your negotiations.
Call the hotel in which you plan to stay directly, instead of calling a hotel chain's national reservations number. Hotels are often franchised, and the person who answers the phone at a national reservations center generally won't have the authority to give you a discount rate. Talk to the hotel's staff instead, and ask for a manager or the owner if the person you reach doesn't have the authority to give you a reduced rate.
Ask for the lowest rate that the hotel offers on its website, or try your luck for even lower, but don't go so low that the hotel will automatically say no. Any number that's more than $20 off the hotel's lowest room rate will almost always be refused. Don't settle for more than the lowest rate on the website, though, because you know that the hotel regularly rents rooms for that price.
Find out if the hotel offers a special rate if you are coming to town for a special event. Sometimes, hotels near concert venues or convention centers offer discount rates for people attending an event at the venue. Ask about special pricing for attendees.
