Tips For Saving On Your Hotel Room

The rack rate is the maximum rate that a hotel charges for a room. Hardly anybody pays it, however, except sometimes in high season. To lower the cost of your room:

• Ask for a rate, then ask about special rates or other discounts. You may qualify for corporate, student, military, senior/AARP, AAA, or other discounts. Nail down the standard rate before you ask for your discount.
• Book online. Many hotels offer Internet-only discounts or supply discounted rooms to Priceline, Hotwire, or Expedia at rates much lower than the ones you can get through the hotel or chain. Some chains guarantee that the price on their websites is the lowest available; check anyway.
• Dial direct. When booking a room in a chain hotel, you'll often get a better deal from the hotel's reservation desk than from the chain's main number.
• Remember the law of supply and demand. Business-oriented hotels are busiest during the week, so you can expect discounts over the weekend. Leisure hotels are most crowded and therefore most expensive on weekends, so discounts may be available midweek.
• Visit in the winter. Boston-bound bargain hunters who don't mind cold and snow (sometimes lots of snow) aim for January through March, when hotels offer great deals, especially on weekends. The Convention & Visitors Bureau's "Boston Overnight! Just for the Fun of It" winter-weekend program targets suburbanites, but out-of-towners benefit, too.
• Look into group or long-stay discounts. If you come as part of a large group, you should be able to negotiate a bargain rate. If you're planning a long stay (at least 5 days), you might qualify for a discount. As a rule, expect 1 night free after a 7-night stay.
• Avoid excess charges and hidden costs. When you book a room, ask whether the hotel charges for parking -- almost every hotel in Boston and Cambridge does. Use your cellphone, prepaid phone cards, or pay phones instead of making expensive calls from hotel phones. If you know you'll be online a lot, seek out a hotel that includes high-speed or wireless access in the room rate (a surprising number of places do; some older properties and hotels that do a lot of expense-account business don't). And don't be tempted by the minibar: Most hotels charge through the nose for water, soda, and snacks. Finally, ask about local taxes, service charges, and energy surcharges, which can increase the cost of a room by 15% or more.
• Book an efficiency. A room with a kitchenette allows you to shop for groceries and prepare your own meals. This is a big money saver, especially for families on long stays.
• Consider enrolling in hotel "frequent-stay" programs, which court repeat customers. Frequent guests can accumulate points or credits to earn free hotel nights, airline miles, in-room amenities, merchandise, tickets to concerts and events, and discounts on sporting facilities. Programs are in force not only at many chain hotels and motels (Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, to name a few), but also at individual inns and B&Bs. Many chain hotels partner with other hotel chains, car-rental firms, airlines, and credit-card companies to encourage repeat business.

For tips on surfing for hotel deals online, visit www.frommers.com.

Bed & Breakfasts

A bed-and-breakfast can be a good alternative to a chain hotel. B&Bs are usually less expensive than hotels and often more comfortable. Most are near public transportation. Because most B&Bs are small, they fill quickly. An agency can save you a lot of calling around and can match you with a lodging that accommodates your likes and dislikes, allergies, tolerance for noise and morning chitchat, and anything else you consider important. Reserve as soon as you start planning, especially if you hope to visit during fall foliage season.

Expect to pay at least $85 a night for a double in the summer and fall, and more during special events. The room rate usually includes breakfast and parking, but be sure to ask. Many lodgings require a minimum stay of at least 2 nights, and most offer good winter specials (discounts or third-night-free deals).

The following organizations can help you find your ideal B&B in Boston, Cambridge, or the greater Boston area:

• Bed & Breakfast Agency of Boston, 47 Commercial Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 (tel. 800/248-9262, 0800/89-5128 from the U.K., or 617/720-3540; fax 617/523-5761; www.boston-bnbagency.com)
• Host Homes of Boston, P.O. Box 117, Waban Branch, Boston, MA 02468 (tel. 800/600-1308 outside MA or 617/244-1308; fax 617/244-5156; www.hosthomesofboston.com)
• Bed & Breakfast Reservations North Shore/Greater Boston/Cape Cod (tel. 800/832-2632 outside MA, 617/964-1606, or 978/281-9505; fax 978/281-9426; www.bbreserve.com)
• Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony, P.O. Box 57166, Boston, MA 02457 (tel. 888/486-6018, 08/234-7113 from the U.K., or 781/449-5302; fax 781/455-6745; www.bnbboston.com)