Things You'll Need:
- Internet Connection
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Step 1
Pick a location. Simply stated, determine the city where you will be staying. For added price flexibility, try to expand the area of your stay. Thus, if you want to find a hotel in Miami, Florida, consider a stay in Fort Lauderdale (only 20 minutes away) in order to possibly get a cheaper hotel room.
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Step 2
Research a discounted hotel site. It is important to begin your research with a discounted hotel site. Hotwire is a great starting point. By typing in a location for your stay, you will receive a price that Hotwire has already negotiated. The downside is that you do not know the actual hotel you will be staying in, but they can narrow it down to a particular location and a star value for the hotel. So, if you want to stay at an upscale hotel, you should make sure that you select a 4-star hotel. Hotwire usually lists a regular price for the hotel. This is the crucial piece that will tie together the rest of your research.
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Step 3
Research other hotel sites. Taking the regular price found on Hotwire, begin to research other websites. The key here is to match up the regular price found on Hotwire with the price found on the other sites. Expedia is a good starting point. Orbitz and Travelocity are other options. Once you match up the prices, compare the amenities found on Hotwire and the other websites you have chosen. This will give you a good idea of which hotel will be attained on Hotwire at a discounted price.
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Step 4
Name Your Own Price. At this point, you can either choose the hotel from Hotwire, or, alternatively, go to a site such as Priceline and name your own price. In order to remain consisent in your search, make sure you select similar options. For instance, if you chose a 4-star hotel through Hotwire, you should also choose a 4-star hotel through Priceline. If you wish, you can name your price for a similar hotel. However, under no circumstances should you name a price that is higher than the one you received on Hotwire.There is a drawback with going through Priceline instead of Hotwire. With Priceline you are contractually obligated to take the hotel room if your price is accepted. You should only go through with Priceline if you are getting a better deal than you would with Hotwire.
