Hi, Is it cheaper to book a Vegas hotel directly or by hotels.com. Does anyone have a more economical site, I also have heard travolicity is good? Thanks

Yes.

Well, that's the shortest answer to your question anyway.

It's cheapest to book wherever you find the cheapest rate, whether that's through the hotel itself, hotels.com, travelocity, expedia, orbitz, vegas.com, etc.

If getting the best price is important, then check several web sites and see what they offer. Keep in mind, also, that booking through the hotel usually means you can cancel up to 48 hours before check in. Read the fine print, though, as this is not the case 100% of the time. Most agents such as hotels.com and travelocity are either non-refundable or carry a fee to cancel.

I recently got great rates at Treasure Island for June by booking directly with the hotel. At $69 + tax we couldn't find it cheaper anywhere else .... famous last words

thanks so much..I am going in April...I will give it a try

I highly recommend booking your room through the hotel. Many of them have special packages during off-peak times. I have only experienced one occasion where I got a better rate through Expedia than I did from the casino. I should add that I do play and have Players Club cards for the places I stay. This helps with some of the rates.
The big thing to note (which was mentioned earlier) is that most hotels have a 48 hour no penalty cancellation policy if you book through them. This means you can re-book for a cheaper price if the rates go down. You can also cancel it if you find a better rate. Let them know you found a better rate, though. They may try to match it.

ALSO, if you plan of playing enough to get your room comped (or even get a reduced rate due to your play) you must book through the hotel. If you book through a consolidator (like Expedia and Hotels.com) they won't be able to help you.

Have Fun,
Mark

I've mentioned this before but when the best rate I could find last summer was for the Aladdin at $89 on one of the discount sites, I called Aladdin direct and "whined" to them. They not only beat it by $10, but made it a bed and breakfast rate with breakfast included. The real advantage was, I had a fear I'd have to cancel and I was concerned about what I'd lose if I booked on the discount site. But booking direct I could cancel with no fee up to the day of arrival.

I think the rates also depend on what time of year you plan to be in Vegas. we go in October and that is always a busy month. It is actually a great deal more expensive to book directly through the Bellagio, which is where we stay. we used Expedia this year and got a great trip package. Shop around thats really all you can do. Last year we used Orbitz.Good Luck.
Mary

Thanks everyone..I will call a couple of the hotels and try my luck. Your advice is greatly appreciated. Kelly

I'm a big fan of http://www.travelaxe.com

You have to download a bit of software, which is quickly done. You enter your parameters and it searches about 15 discount hotel sites. (It gives you a little progress window so you can see which sites are being polled and the status of each.) The results are downloaded into a spreadsheet, which you can sort with the click of your mouse by overall price, savings, star-rating, whatever.

Much better than the shenanigans Priceline puts you through and/or visiting individual sites (Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.)

Plus, as I say, you get an instant comparison of *everything* available.

Most recently I used it for a Vegas trip, last Fall, and got $69/nite at both the Monte Carlo and the Luxor. (I stayed two nights at each; both were dandy, though the MC has better beds.)

Try signing up for e-mail promotions from the hotel. I did that for the Bellagio and got a great rate.

You've gotten excellent advice here. I actually combine all three methods. I check expedia, travelocity, etc. about once a week...if I see any rates that have changed, I go directly to the hotel website and check. I also signed up at all of the hotel websites to be emailed whenever they have promotions.

You can cancel at most of the hotels right up until your trip. I first booked the Luxor, then canceled as I got a promo rate emailed from TI. Then I found one from Aladdin through Travelzoo.com (you might want to sign up for their weekly emails), but canceled it because I am happiest with the TI deal thus far. Our trip is in April and if something better comes along I will book it and cancel TI. Some might think this is a pain but I actually think its fun....

Hi travelsuper.

I think all of the shopping around is part of the adventure. And knowing that you've already 'won' some money before your Vegas trip is a good feeling. I made reservations at TI for my family's Christmas trip way back in April. I saved more than $100 per room and got various perks as rates dropped and special offers came.

I hope you like TI. I stay there more than anywhere else.

Hi everyone, Thanks for the great advice,i love finding a great deal but also staying in great places.Thanks again,Kelly