Great Hotel Deals for Thanksgiving: Gobble Them Up While You Can

Traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday really can be a hassle and to make matters worse hotel rooms have been known to be hard to come by, at least in the past. My sister and I used to go to New York City every year for Thanksgiving and traveled to the city the weekend before if we had big family celebrations going on at home. But, in order to get the hotel we wanted we would have to get our reservations at least 6 months early. Even then rooms were hard to come by and the prices higher than other times of the year. But this year, with the economy the way it is, people who ordinarily travel for business have curtailed those travels quite a lot which is definitely affecting the hotel industry. So this year there are some Great Deals on Hotel Stays for this Thanksgiving Holiday

What does that mean to us the holiday traveler? Well, more rooms at some of the best hotels in the busiest cities are just sitting empty, so they are available to us. I called a few hotel chains and found that the Hilton Hotel has vacancies in their primary hotel in Manhattan for half of what these rooms usually cost. Rooms that at one time were in the $300- 400 price range are now affordable. Alas, I can't take advantage of that deal this year, but you can if you call 1-800-HHilton. One of the best secrets I have found for getting a room at most chains especially, if you are an honors member or guest member of that chain is to call the hotel itself. I have always received better deals on the phone for some reason.

But websites have their benefits too

One for instance, Hotwire, has savings in 4 and 5 star hotel chains in some of the most sought after cities; Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. These hotel room rates now can be had for what had been considered what you would pay for a 2 star hotel, only instead you will be staying at a really posh property. Checking the prices often on the site can be beneficial and you might find amazing rates. Some even in the $100- 200 price range.

Las Vegas hotels have some good rates too and when you go to the Las Vegas website those rates are shown at all the better hotels. If you want a more personal touch call the hotel you are interested in after finding the advertised rate. It's amazing what a phone call can do.

Bargainbox.com has rooms available starting at $59.00 a night, just go to Expedia.com and look for Bargainbox, things change on the site often so it's a good idea to check frequently for your very own bargain.

Expedia itself has some good deals for that special weekend with rates in the $73/79 a night range, up to $195 for hotels that usually go for over $400 a night.

If you are interested in New York and seeing the Big Thanksgiving Day Parade in person, you can find some great vacation packages at www.NYCtrip.com, this is the official site of New York and there are many varied packages to be found. Some combine Thanksgiving and Macy's Parade packages with hotels starting at about $795.00 per person for a complete 4 night vacation package. Most of those hotels in this promotion are near the parade route and your arrival can be anywhere between the 24th and the 26th

For a few dollars more you can get an exclusive Insider's View Parade Party Breakfast where you can watch the parade while you eat your morning meal. Other packages include Thanksgiving Dinner. Some of the hotels featuring these deals are the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, The Novotel Hotel, the Marriot Marquis and the Crown Plaza in Times Square, these packages are special and if you want to take advantage of them check out the website or make a few phone calls on your own. You never know what you will find and the way things look this year, you really might find a great holiday deal in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.

I found another terrific deal if you live near or want to go to Ann Arbor Michigan; The Webers Hotel. They are offering rooms at $99.00 a night for their special Thanksgiving weekend special. Or get a suite discounted $55 a night. Their Toll-free direct number is 1-800-443-3050.

Even Miami and Miami Beach hotels are getting in the act. http://www.hotel-rates.com/us/florida/miami-beach/ have some truly incredible rates for many hotels and if a beach turkey day is one that sounds tasty to you, then check out the special offers on that site.

Yes, there are bargains out there and they might keep getting better as the holiday gets nearer. If you wait till the last minute and call any hotel direct, rooms that have not been sold are usually discounted on the spot. A hotel doesn't make money on an empty room so calling the hotel is your best bet for a super bargain.

So I wish you all Great Hotel Bargain deals and, of course, Happy Safe travels this Thanksgiving Holiday!