Don't Rely on Internet Prices for the Best Hotel Rates

My husband and I are planning a weekend getaway to Scottsdale next month. I started searching the web for the best hotel rates. Our usual favorite, the Westin Kierland, had rates beyond what we were planning on spending for this particular trip. April is still considered high season. Scottsdale hotels and resorts typically charge more during this peak time, sometimes astronomically more. For this reason, we typically visit Scottsdale during the later spring and summer months. We actually don't mind the heat.

Find a hotel that suits your needs.
I pride myself on always finding a great hotel rate when we travel. It is time consuming though. I always start my search on TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor is a great website for unbiased comments and reviews from travelers. First, I peruse the first 10 listings ranked by popularity recommended by travelers. I read what the travelers have to say, paying close attention to those amenities I deem important: cleanliness, location, sleep quality (types of beds) and of course, value. Many travelers post photos which are great indicators of what a hotel's accommodations actually look like. Oftentimes when visiting a hotel website you'll see the property in the very best light as presented by the company and may not appear as such in person.

Check travel site prices against what you might find on the hotel's site.
Once you've narrowed down your choice on the travel websites, make sure you are getting the best hotel rate by comparing what the hotel is offering on their site. Many times hotels have incredible specials and packages that are suited for what you are planning to do. Most hotels offer discounts for government workers, corporate rates, AAA or CAA rates, and senior or AARP rates. Always check to see what's available. Are your dates flexible? The best hotel rates can be found by moving your trip a day forward or backwards.

Sometimes the best hotel rates can be found by calling the hotel directly.
As I continued to research our Scottsdale trip, I settled on the FireSky Resort and Spa as my hotel of choice. I did all the typical searches on the travel websites and then did my comparison on FireSky's website. Earlier in the week, I found a great deal on the hotel's website using my AAA card. My husband and I weren't 100 percent sure we were going yet so I figured by the weekend I would book the trip if we decided to go.

Fast forward to today. I went on the website and to my dismay the price had jumped up an additional $30 a night. Now I know it's not much, but like I said earlier, I pride myself on getting the best hotel rate. So I decided to do the old-fashion way of booking a reservation and called the hotel directly. I spoke with a very nice hotel employee and asked if the earlier rate I found on their website was available through them. She quoted a few rates that were actually more and then asked if I had any of the other discounts besides AAA, which I did not. She searched some more. She then found two rooms that were significantly lower than what I had actually found online and asked if I wanted to book one of those. I was like, wait, can you repeat that price? She did and then went over all the specifics of the room. I immediately jumped at the deal which was $50 a night less than the low rate I had found online earlier in the week! Amazingly, she then asked what else she could do to make sure I had a pleasant stay with them. I jokingly said all I want is a clean room! She laughed and then asked if I prefer foam pillows versus feather, a room away from the elevator, whether I preferred a national or local newspaper, and other preferences. I was a bit taken back but loved the attention to detail. Much warmer and friendlier than checking a box on the website.

It had been a long time since I booked a hotel room this way but I know now I will definitely add that to my list of cross references to find the best hotel rates next time. Plus the one-on-one attention to ensure I have a pleasant stay sealed the deal.