Tips For Saving On Your Hotel Room

A hotel's "rack rate" is the official published rate, and those are the prices quoted here. They will help you make an apples-to-apples comparison. The truth is, though, 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. Here's how the price categories are organized:

Very Expensive: $275 and up

Expensive: $190 to $274

Moderate: $120 to $189

Inexpensive: under $120

These are all high-season prices, with no discounts applied. And keep in mind that the rates given in this chapter do not include the hotel tax, which is an additional 10.5%. But always peruse the category above your target price -- you might just find the perfect match, especially if you follow the advice below.

Dial direct.

Ask about special rates or other discounts.

Book online at the hotel's website.

Remember the law of supply and demand.

Look into group or long-stay discounts.

Avoid excess charges and hidden costs (like minibar costs).

Book an efficiency.

Investigate reservations services such as Quikbook (tel. 800/789-9887, includes fax-on-demand service; www.quikbook.com); Hotel Locators (tel. 800/423-7846; www.hotellocators.com); Accommodations Express (tel. 800/950-4685; www.accommodationsexpress.com); and Hotel Discounts (tel. 800/715-7666; www.hoteldiscounts.com).

What's Your Best Rate for Tonight? -- Trying to score the lowest rate for a downtown hotel can be an amusing exercise, providing a convention hasn't sucked up the availability. As an experiment, I called all the major downtown hotels one Tuesday morning to see what their best rate on a room for that same night would be. In all instances the rate I was quoted was 25% to 40% lower than the rack rate. When I called the Grand Hyatt, I was first quoted $240 -- a third off the rack rate. The price fell to $220 when I mentioned my AAA membership. I said, "Thanks, I'll get back to you." The very helpful reservations agent countered, "Let me check to see if there are any packages available." Within a few seconds she found a rate of $139 that included breakfast for two, free parking (a $15 savings), and a 15% discount off dinner at the hotel. I started to end the call again, and she cut me off to say, "Oh, here's a $99 promotional rate you might want to consider . . ."

Bed & Breakfasts

Travelers who seek bed-and-breakfast accommodations will be pleasantly surprised by the variety and affordability of San Diego B&Bs (especially compared with the rest of California). Many B&Bs are traditional, strongly reflecting the personality of an on-site innkeeper, and offering as few as two guest rooms; others accommodate more guests in a slickly professional way. More than 10 B&Bs are part of the close-knit San Diego Bed & Breakfast Guild (tel. 619/523-1300; www.bandbguildsandiego.org), whose members work actively at keeping prices reasonable; many good B&Bs average $100 to $125 a night.

Hostels

Those in search of less expensive accommodations should check in to San Diego's collection of hostels. You should have your own sack sheet or sleeping bag (or plan to rent one), and be prepared for shared dorm-style rooms, although private rooms are also found at most. Communal kitchens are also available at most hostels. Reservations are a good idea any time of year, and overbooking is not uncommon.

USAHostels (tel. 800/438-8622 or 619/232-3100; www.usahostels.com) is in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter at 726 Fifth Ave., in a historic building; private rooms cost $61 and dorm rooms run $25 per person. Also in the Gaslamp is HI Downtown Hostel (tel. 888/464-4872, ext. 156, or 619/525-1533; www.sandiegohostels.com), at 521 Market St. This facility has 135 beds, including 24 private rooms; no alcohol is allowed on the premises. Private rooms start at $55 and dorm rooms start at $21. Hostelling International also has a 53-bed location in Point Loma (tel. 888/464-4872, ext. 157, or 619/223-4778), at 3790 Udall St., which is about 2 miles inland from Ocean Beach; rates run $19 per person, and private rooms that sleep three are $48. The Ocean Beach International Hostel, 4961 Newport Ave. (tel. 800/339-7263 or 619/223-7873; www.californiahostel.com), has more than 60 beds and is just 2 blocks from the beach; bunk rates are $20 per person, and they offer free pickup from the airport, train, or bus station. There's an extensive collection of DVDs for guests, and free barbecues are held Tuesday and Friday. U.S. residents must show proof of international travel within the last 6 months in order to stay.