Tips For Saving On Your Hotel Room

A hotel's "rack rate" is the official published rate -- I use these prices to help you make an apples-to-apples comparison. The truth is, hardly anybody pays rack rates and, with the exception of smaller B&Bs, you can usually pay quite a bit less than the rates shown below. If you decide to come to Madrid during the very hot months of July and August (in reality the capital's "low season"), you'll usually pick up some bargains in the higher-priced hotels at lower rates than those we officially quote below. Check directly with your hotel of choice by Internet, or run through the database of the regularly updated website www.venere.com, which, by cutting out booking agents, is able to offer some of the most competitive rates available. High seasons are Easter and Christmas, so avoid those periods if you can.

Here's how I've organized the price categories:

Very Expensive, $300 and up

Expensive, $200 to $290

Moderate, $130 to $199

Inexpensive, under $130

These are all high-season prices, with no discounts applied. But always peruse the category above your target price -- you might just find the perfect match, especially if you follow the advice below. Note to single travelers: Single rates may be available in some of the accommodations listed -- call the hotel directly for specific rates.

Ask about special rates or other discounts. Ask whether a less expensive room than the first one quoted is available, or whether any special rates apply to you. You may qualify for corporate, student, military, senior, or other discounts. Mention membership in AAA, AARP, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions, which may entitle you to special deals as well. Find out the hotel policy on children -- do kids stay free in the room or is there a special rate?

Dial direct. When booking a room in a chain hotel, you'll often get a better deal by calling the individual hotel's reservation desk than at the chain's main number.

Book online. Many hotels offer Internet-only discounts, available through the hotel's website or through Expedia or Travelocity. Priceline and Hotwire allow you to "bid" for a room, though you will have to pay with a credit card up-front without knowing the exact hotel. Note: If you book online, you may not be able to ask for certain preferences, such as a quiet room.

Remember the law of supply and demand. Resort hotels are most crowded and therefore most expensive on weekends, so discounts are more common for midweek stays. Business hotels in downtown locations are busiest during the week, so you can expect deals over the weekend. Many hotels have high-season and low-season prices, and booking the day after high season ends (like in Sept for beachfront beds) can mean savings.

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, since the hotel can then guarantee occupancy in a number of rooms. Likewise, if you're planning a long stay (at least 5 days), you might qualify for a discount. As a general rule, expect 1 night free after a 7-night stay.

Avoid excess charges and hidden costs. When you book a room, confirm whether the hotel charges for parking. Use your own cellphone, pay phones, or prepaid phone cards instead of hotel phones, which have exorbitant rates. Don't be tempted by the room's minibar offerings: Most hotels charge through the nose for water, soda, and snacks. Ask about local taxes and service charges, which can be 15% or more.

Book an efficiency or look into apartotels. A room with a kitchenette allows you to shop for groceries and cook your own meals. This can be a big money saver, especially for families on long stays. For details on apartotels, hotel/apartment hybrids, see "Self-Catering Lodgings," below.

Consider enrolling in hotel "frequent-stay" programs, which are upping the ante lately to win the loyalty of repeat customers. Frequent guests can now accumulate points or credits to earn free hotel nights, airline miles, in-room amenities, merchandise, tickets to concerts and events, discounts on sporting facilities -- and even credit toward stock in the participating hotel, in the case of the Jameson Inn hotel group. Perks are awarded not only by many chain hotels and motels (Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards, Wyndham ByRequest, to name a few), but individual inns and B&Bs. Many chain hotels partner with other hotel chains, car-rental firms, airlines, and credit-card companies to give consumers additional incentive to do repeat business

Investigate reservations services. These outfits usually work as consolidators, buying up or reserving rooms in bulk, and then dealing them out to customers at a profit. They do garner deals that range from 10% to 50% off, but remember, the discounts apply to rack rates -- inflated prices that people rarely end up paying. You're probably better off dealing directly with a hotel, but if you don't like bargaining, this is certainly a viable option. Most of them offer online reservation services as well. Here are a few of the more reputable providers: Hotel Locators (tel. 800/423-7846; www.hotellocators.com); Accommodations Express (tel. 800/950-4685; www.accommodationsexpress.com); Hotel Discounts (tel. 800/715-7666; www.hoteldiscount.com); and Quikbook (tel. 800/789-9887, includes fax-on-demand service; www.quikbook.com).

Note: Rates provided do not include the government IVA room tax, which is an additional 7%.