Hi,

I am planning to visit London and Edinburgh and wondered how people get great rates on 4 or 5 star hotels. We will most likely be going in the offseason (late Jan. or early Feb.) Do you deal with the hotel directly, use the web, book early, book late? What are your tricks for bypassing the rack room rates but not winding up with the dumpiest room in the place?

Hi
Hardly anyone actually pays the rack rate, any more than anyone actually pays the "suggested retail price" of those items sold on tv.
There are many basic ways to get some discounts, depending on the hotel and its affiliations: membership in AAA, membership in AARP, frequent-flyer arrangements, etc

Then, there are the periodic special rates that hotels advertise, almost always per person rates based on double occupancy, but not always.

There are package rates (airlines and/or hotels) offered on airline websites, and companies like go-today, Gate1 Travel, Expedia, Orbitz, etc

Then there are websites that offer special deals because they've bought up blocks of rooms: priceline, travel zoo. etc/

Finally, there is sheer luck--calling the hotel directly and finding they are willing to discount a price. Sometimes you arrive at the hotel and they kindly offer you a free room upgrade because they happen to have unrented rooms.

I don't think there's any one sure way that offers the lowest rates all the time. On the other hand, some of the very best hotels, like the Ritz in Paris for example, may have some special going on where they slightly reduce their rate or offer a bottle of champagne for the room, but the hotel is never going to offer one of their rooms for say, $200.

Hi,

Try a search on google.com for "Hotel and (city)" you will get discounters.

Try priceline.com.

Call the hotel directly.

Don't accept a dumpy room. A pleasant, "I'm sorry, but this room is not acceptable" usually works.

Hi, try Bancotel.com, this is a well known Spanish company that deals with hotels all over the world. Read careful how it works , you can save lots of many in great places.I think thata often you can get better prices with Bancotel than in the internet.

Also many five , four stars hotels have special week end fares.

sorry. I meant read carefully, you can save lots of money....

luxurylink.com also has great discounted 5 * options for the U.K. Also as mentioned above you may be able to get a steal on priceline as you are traveling during low season. biddingfortravel.com

ps, often luxurylink auctions are for upgraded rooms too, have used 4 times and counting no complaints...

I can also vouch for Luxurylink another site you could try, particularly if you don't mind waiting till closer to the time is www.lastminute.co.uk

Hope that helps.

People using Priceline routinely get 5* hotels in Central London for around $100/night. Hilton Trafalgar, Churchill Intercontinental for example.

Check out biddingfortravel.com for info about how to make this happen.

Priceline can be a bit tricky if you don't know what you're doing.

I've also used both priceline & luxurylink in the past and haven't been dissapointed yet.

For this trip - www.londontown.com & www.superbreak.com are both well worth looking at for good rates.

We have also got some bargains by using the corporate rates specially negogiatedd by my hubby's company (large IB)

Thanks for all the advice- I checked out luxurylink for Edinburgh, and they have the Balmoral, which is where I would most like to stay.

I like Hotelclub.net for rates. They seem to have a good selection and when I have used them they usually beat the other sites.

This has probably already been suggested but here are some of my ideas:

Check several reputable sites, like luxurylink and/or tripadvisor. I would then contact the hotel directly to see if they will match or beat the best internet rate. I am generally more comfortable dealing with the hotel directly, where possible. If you go through an internet service, make sure the hotel has the same reservation terms the internet service quotes you!

I would also make sure to check with hotel personnel regarding where the room is (view, proximity to elevators, square footage, etc.) located within the hotel.

Finally, the length of stay sometimes makes them more willing to negotiate a better rate. That is assuming you are talking directly with the hotel.

Good luck!!

Another happy custumer with London Town.
Fluffy