Save money when making reservations! May 22 '01 (Updated Mar 04 '02)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line Think out your needs before calling to make reservations and remember to ask the most important question to save money! WHO I AM: I am an average traveler... I don't fly off on jet set vacations, but I do take several short trips every year (to visit family, take a weekend getaway, attend an event). I stay mostly at hotel chains as I have to limit my budget. I start out by calling several 1-800 numbers, such as 1-800-DAYS-INN, to see what hotels are in the city I will be visiting, where they are located to where I need to go (across the street, a mile away, etc.), and what features each hotel offers (indoor pool, spa, exercise, free breakfast). WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE: Once you have narrowed your selection down to a few hotels that meet your requirements, then it's time to start bargaining! If you have a travel discount card such as AAA, that is a good place to start. Be sure to ask what the price is with your AAA card (or whatever you have). Always remember that the reservation specialist on the other end of the phone is automatically going to book you in a room at the highest price. It will do you good to ask if rooms without a small fridge, king size bed, communication port, etc, will be less than the ones with. If you can do without certain luxuries then you can save alot of money. Many people go overboard when considering what they think they must have and yet rarely use them - i.e.: do you really need an ocean-view room if you're only going to be in the room to sleep? But the most important question to ask is: What is your super-low rate? The operator you are talking to knows very well that there is a much lower rate than the one they are quoting you, but they are not allowed to volunteer that information. Instead you have to ask some variation of: Do you have a special deal right now? Usually these rates will be very low... sometimes 1/2 the price you started at. Keep all of this in mind when calling to make reservations. Decide what you absolutely need to have in your room and what you can do without. Reserving early does sometimes help save money, and it assures you a place to stay when a huge convention you didn't know about turns up in the town at the same time you need to get a room. Of course, the opposite can and does happen - when hotel are not very full you may find yourself pulling into the hotel parking lot and a sign outside is advertising a special rate far below the way you've reserved at, it is okay to demand the lower rate in a very nice but firm way. Happy travels! Visit my other Epinions! http://www.epinions.com/user-sukiyvonne

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