Tip of the week: How to find hotel deals

Lengthen your stay. Booking more nights per trip can bring down your “per-night rate.” Many hotels offer the third, fourth, or fifth night free, hoping that guests will spend money at the hotel restaurant or on other on-site services.

Shoot for the suite life. Luxury hotels have taken the biggest hit in this economy. If you can be flexible with dates, you should find “favorable opportunities” at some of the country’s grandest resorts.

Book rooms in big cities. Major cities are still adding hotels that were planned before the recession. Reduced occupancy rates are bad for hotels, but good for travelers because they bring down rates.

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Stay alert. Services like Priceline.com’s Hotel Negotiator or HotelForYou.com can help. Sign up for e-mail alerts to “get the jump on short-lived sales.”

Source: Los Angeles Times