Vacation Time, part one: Hotels

Time to toot my own horn. I get fantastic deals on vacations, I don't mind saying. I have been pretty much anywhere in the U.S. worth visiting with the exception of Seattle. Anchorage to Alabama (you can miss AL), Texas to California, Hawaii, New York, Virginia Beach...you get the idea. I travel mostly for business, but I do a lot of travelling for fun as well, and you can have more fun in places than you ever thought possible with just a little research. I can save you a ton per year by having an adventurous spirit and a willingness to get a deal.

Timing.

Every summer people from hot areas go to cold ones, every winter, people from cold areas go to hot ones.

Pretty much a no-duh, right? I thought so too. By avoiding areas that have a special event going on at the time you book, or if you are planning on going to that special event, take a decent sized trip to get there from where you are staying, this can add up to tremendous savings.

Wanna get the best deals? Pick your vacation based on the deal, not on where you would really like to go. You probably have never thought of a trip to Arkansas, but if you do it right, you can have a blast for cheap. (Crater of Diamonds National Park near Murfesboro is a ton of fun.) Or pretty much anywhere. You might be surprised on what you can find within driving distance

Got a place in mind for your travels and are flexible about what kind of place you want to sleep at? Then Priceline is best for you. Pick 2 star and try $31 ($53 in CA, $112 in HI) per night and make sure you're choosing all the ares near where you want to be. You will more than likely get an Extended Stay America. These are places that come with a kitchen complete with plates and pots, a full sized fridge, possibly a pool, and a sparse breakfast on Mon-Fri. Depending on where you book, you can get a higher end ESA brand, such as Extended Stay Deluxe or Studio Suites.

Priceline would probably like to kill me for telling you this; I learned these numbers only after years of buying hotels, and with a few exceptions like resort towns in the summer or special events, you're going to get what I described about 80% of the time. The rest of the time is going to be split between places like La Quinta.

Another great idea when it comes to finding killer deals on lodging is actually calling the places. If you can't find get the prices mentioned when you name your own price, Google motel and the name of the city where you are going, then call the places and try to hammer out a similar price. You can get $30 a night in many places that Priceline won't partner with, but you have to actually get on the phone. I did that when going to Saginaw, MI over the Thanksgiving holiday. Priceline wasn't handing out the deals, so I got a place with comfortable and outdated furniture and a small fridge for about half of what Priceline or similar places wanted to give me.

Picky?

Well even if you are picky there are ways to get what you want for a little less. Picky people will almost never have the best deals, or the most interesting adventures, and take it from me, running the risk of getting a cheesy motel is completely outweighed by the fun you can have getting there. Anyway, if you want to go to a convention, book first. Many hotel websites will have specials for joining their mailing list or simply booking on their site. So, if you want a specific hotel at a specific time, you should probably get the booking done as soon as possible. Also, if you have AAA or are a senior, or have to stop on the way somewhere because of bad weather, illness, etc, many places have a distressed traveller discount.

Places to avoid.

America's Best Value
Under no circumstances accept a deal at this place. They have had their chance to reform and after staying at three of them in different places I can tell you that it's the only place I have stayed at that had roaches (and I Priceline EVERYTHING). The only places that Priceline will give you ABV (in Texas) is in San Antonio, Waco, and possibly New Braunfels.

You can actually call and cancel your reservation with Priceline when you name your own price. You do have to be persistent and insistent when calling, but the threat of having the credit card deny payment usually does the trick if it comes to that.

I once went to Ocala, FL and found that the room I had booked was actually cheaper if I booked direct (ValuePlace. Thin walls, no dishes or cookware, but a place to cook things and a full-sized fridge, never a pool and you can bet on begrudging service and hard beds).

Next time I visit Hotels, I am going to give you some great pointers on bed and breakfasts and cabins.