How to get the best rate for a hotel?

I figure this is probably one of the best places online to ask this question. Aside from actually shopping a hotel, how do you go about booking a hotel for a great rate? Blindly booking a place seems scary. I've also heard some credit cards offer high enough bonuses to get a free night, though I'm not sure that can be done last minute.

(I'm looking to book something in San Diego, CA for Thanksgiving.)

Shopping Santa Barbara and Goleta, CA.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2015 05:50PM by gojiberry.

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There are so many routes you could go to save on hotels. As far as credit card bonuses go, you might be able to get the points in time but that would be cutting it too close for my taste.

Priceline is always a popular option for hotel savings. When I Priceline a hotel I first check betterbidding.com to see the likely rate I'd be looking for.

There are several hotel brands that offer a best rate guarantee where you can get a discount if you find a lower rate than their website sells you. These deals are tied to strict rules so you'd need to read up on each program you'd consider this for.

If you have an American Express card they have some special offers for card holders that include discounts on certain hotel brands and currently I believe there is an offer for $50 off when you spend $100 on Airbnb.

And of course check travel consolidators to find best prices quickly.

I like Priceline for the most part. One problem is not knowing where you might end up when blind bidding. To me it works better when there are few choices at specific level. Travelers used to be able to guarantee they were getting the Doubletree closest to me because it was the only 3 1/2 star hotel in the defined area.

After finding the lowest rate possible don't be afraid to call the hotel directly. On occasion I've negotiated a cheaper rate directly. Most of the time if they won't provide a lower rate they will match whatever price I've found and sometimes throw in other perks, be it an upgrade, free drinks or a free breakfast where one is not normally offered. It also gives me the opportunity to make any special requests a website might not accommodate.

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