We stayed in NYC at the Hotel Lucerne in October. Want to return in May. None of the "hotel booking" sites show any available rooms for May. However, the Lucerne website does. That is how we booked October but I did compare prices with these "hotel" booking sites. Now I can't do that.

Is this because it's not close to May?
Should we wait?
They certainly couldn't be all booked up?..

Advice needed. Thanks.

Why not just make a reservation that you can cancel without penalty and keep checking rates periodically?

It's possible the booking sites you're checking don't yet have their 2010 rates yet with the hotel.

The discount sites often don;t have prices this far in advance - some only get them 3 months or so in advance. I would reserve directly with the hotel now - and then check the other sites when you get closer.

Would the hotel lower the price nearer May?????...after I had already booked?...or am I just hoping the hotel booking sites would have a lower price?..Thanks. I hope you understand my question...

Many hotel booking sites are consolidators (clearing houses) like Quikbook.com or Hotels.com -- they take excess inventory and sell it for the hotels. This, of course, means that the hotels don't use them until it is clear that they can't sell the rooms themselves at a higher price. Some web sites, like Expedia or Travelocity, are the same as using a travel agent and they should be able to book the rooms for you now. Here's the problem with that -- they will most likely lock you into a cancel fee if anything changes. We go to NY in May every year and here's what I do. I book the hotel I want on the hotel web site -- making sure that it is a rate with no cancel/change penalty. Then I watch the discount sites and the hotel's own web site. If the rate drops substantially, I book again or call the hotel to ask for the discount.

Why not call the Lucerne and ask when the May dates will be available on their website? That will give you some idea as to whether to use that site or book through one of the consolidators. We did book the Lucerne 6 months in advance and got the internet rates. It was all done within the same year(April booking for October stay).

whoops sorry~I just re-read your post and I see the website does have available dates.

If the hotel lowers the rates or there's a lower rate on a booking site, then just cancel the existing reservation and rebook at the lower rate. But maybe I don't understand the question, since the process seems very straightforward to me.

As long as you don't prepay or make a non-cancelable reservation, whether with the hotel or on a 3rd party website, if prices go down, you should be able to get the better price. Sometimes the hotel will just change the price, sometimes you have to cancel and rebook (don't cancel before booking the cheaper price).

If you see a better price on another website and the hotel won't match it, just book the better price and cancel the res. with the hotel. If you cancel one reservation, ALWAYS hold onto the cancelation number/confirmation. I had an instance where the original reservation was charged as well as the new one.

Of course, if everybody does this (make a cancellable reservation), the hotel will think it has fewer rooms available to hand off to a consolidator!

Of course, if everybody does this (make a cancellable reservation), the hotel will think it has fewer rooms available to hand off to a consolidator!

I doubt if there are enough people doing this to make a noticable difference. After all, hotels, like airlines, notoriously overbook and have to "walk" guests at times. I think its a free-for-all and let the smartest player win.

Very good information...thanks. I will book this week. And thanks to those who recommended the Lucerne.