April 16, 2003 -- The profusion of websites dealing with hotel room rate discounts can be somewhat disconcerting when you're trying to decide who's offering the best deal. Here's something important to remember: One of the best companies, Hotels.com, operates under a variety of online addresses, but they all offer the same great deals, among some of the best rates for booking a room.
If you've ever reserved your hotel using the Internet, you've probably been to one of these Hotels.com affiliated sites such as the eponymous Hotels.com, Hoteldiscount.com, 180096hotel.com, All-hotels.com or Motels.com -- and that's just the beginning of the list. What's important here is the savings you can easily find. A recent multi-city search pulled up these sample winners:
- Boston: in the suburbs at the Four Points Sheraton from $44.97 until April 20, and at Logan Airport's Comfort Inn & Suites from $59.95 until April 17 (Patriot's Day in Boston).
- Chicago: At the downtown Quality Inn from $89.95 through April 30, at the downtown Comfort Inn from $99.95 through April 28, at the swank Radisson Hotel & Suites from $76.95 through April 30.
- Miami: at the adequate President from $59.95 through April 17, at the Abbey Hotel on South Beach from $95.95 through April 17, and at the Riu Beach resort from $89.95 through April 17.
- New Orleans: prices run from $89.98 at the Garden District Hotel through May 15, and from $139 at the posh Omni Royal Crescent through May 1.
- New York City: one of the cheapest is the Wellington, where you can get a room from $99.95 through April 30.
- Orlando: rooms run as low as from $39.95 at the Super 8 Maingate through April 30.
- San Francisco: try the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf from $98.95 through April 30.
- Washington, D.C.: you can stay at the Howard Johnson Inn from $65.95 through April 30, also.
Internationally, they have deals in London or Ottawa, even Barbados. You can subscribe to their Hot Deals Travel Newsletter, free of charge. For bookings and subscriptions, your best bet is to visit either of the two more well-known URLs: www.hoteldiscount.com, tel. 800/364-0801; or www.hotels.com, tel. 800/2HOTELS.