The lesson is clear if you want the cheapest hotel room: Negotiate!

The Internet Sites ,You can use web sites, such as Cheap Tickets.com to find cheap hotel rooms. However, they only give you rates for the hotels and motels that are in their system. For example, I just did a search for Tucson, Arizona. Cheap Tickets.com was the easiest site to use, and found the best rates of the sites I tried. However, I could show you several nice motels here in Tucson that are $15 cheaper than the cheapest rate they found. In other words, these sites are convenient, and worth using when you have nothing else, but they will never show you all your options. Here are some other ways to get cheap rooms.

Freeway Coupon Books, Get coupon books at gas stations along the highways. We've almost always found good deals using these. It's rare that a manager won't honor the coupon. Generally, only if they're absolutely full will they refuse. Read the fine print, though. They often charge more for certain dates, or for two people.

Use The "Magic Words" For Cheap Hotel Rooms ,There are promotions done where if you "mention this ad" or just use the right words, you get up to 70% discount. Talk, talk, talk. Tell them if you're a member of the AARP, AAA or whatever. Tell the person on the phone that you saw an ad in the "Times," or whatever big paper they might have advertised in.

Get the receptionist to help you. Try asking what the magic words are. Some receptionists will tell you. You might also ask "What do I have to say to get the cheapest rate?" They will sometimes tell you, or suggest other options.