San Diego Hotel Deals

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Back to San Diego & Orange CountyTips For Saving On Your Hotel Room

A hotel's "rack rate" is the official published rate; I use these prices to help you make an apples-to-apples comparison. The truth is, hardly anybody pays rack rates, and, with the exception of smaller B&Bs, you can usually pay quite a bit less than the rates shown below. Here's how I've organized the price categories:

Very Expensive, $275 and up

Expensive, $190 to $274

Moderate, $120 to $189

Inexpensive, under $120

These are all high-season prices, with no discounts applied. But always peruse the category above your target price -- you might just find the perfect match, especially if you follow the advice below:

Ask about special rates or other discounts. Ask whether a less expensive room than the first one quoted is available, or whether any special rates apply to you. You may qualify for corporate, student, military, senior, or other discounts. Mention membership in AAA, AARP, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions, which may entitle you to special deals as well. Find out the hotel policy on children -- do kids stay free in the room or is there a special rate?

Dial direct. When booking a room in a chain hotel, you'll often get a better deal by calling the individual hotel's reservation desk rather than the chain's main number.

Book online. Many hotels offer Internet-only discounts, available through the hotel's website or through Expedia or Travelocity. Priceline and Hotwire allow you to "bid" for a room, though you will have to pay with a credit card up-front without knowing the exact hotel. Note: If you book online, you may not be able to ask for certain preferences, such as a quiet room.

Remember the law of supply and demand. Resort hotels are most crowded and therefore most expensive on weekends, so discounts are more common for midweek stays. Business hotels in downtown locations are busiest during the week, so you can expect deals over the weekend. Many hotels have high-season and low-season prices, and booking the day after high season ends (like in Sept for beachfront beds) can mean savings.

Look into group or long-stay discounts. If you come as part of a large group, you should be able to negotiate a bargain rate, since the hotel can then guarantee occupancy in a number of rooms. Likewise, if you're planning a long stay (at least 5 days), you might qualify for a discount. As a general rule, expect 1 night free after a 7-night stay.

Avoid excess charges and hidden costs. When you book a room, confirm whether the hotel charges for parking. Use your own cellphone, pay phones, or prepaid phone cards instead of hotel phones, which have exorbitant rates. Don't be tempted by the room's minibar offerings: Most hotels charge through the nose for water, soda, and snacks. Ask about local taxes and service charges, which can be 15% or more. Energy surcharges were common during the 2001-02 California energy crisis, but have vanished for now.

Book an efficiency. A room with a kitchenette allows you to shop for groceries and cook your own meals. This can be a big money saver, especially for families on long stays.

Investigate reservation services. These outfits usually work as consolidators, buying up or reserving rooms in bulk, and then dealing them out to customers at a profit. They do garner deals that range from 10% to 50% off, but remember, the discounts apply to rack rates -- inflated prices that people rarely end up paying. You're probably better off dealing directly with a hotel, but if you don't like bargaining, this is certainly a viable option. Most of them offer online reservation services as well. Here are a few of the more reputable providers: San Diego Hotel Reservations (tel. 800/SAVE-CASH; www.sandiegohotelres.com); Hotel Locators (tel. 800/423-7846; www.hotellocators.com); Accommodations Express (tel. 800/950-4685; www.accommodationsexpress.com); Hotel Discounts (tel. 800/715-7666; www.hoteldiscount.com); and Quikbook (tel. 800/789-9887, includes fax-on-demand service; www.quikbook.com). Note: Rates given in this chapter do not include the hotel tax, which is an additional 10.5%.

"What's Your Best Rate for Tonight?"

Trying to score the lowest rate for a downtown hotel can be an amusing exercise, providing a convention hasn't sucked up the availability. As an experiment, I called all the major downtown hotels one Tuesday morning to see what their best rate on a room for that same night would be. In all instances the rate I was quoted was 25% to 40% lower than the rack rate. When I called the Grand Hyatt, I was first quoted $240 -- a third off the rack rate. The price fell to $220 when I mentioned my AAA membership. I said, "Thanks, I'll get back to you." The very helpful reservations agent countered, "Let me check to see if there are any packages available." Within a few seconds she found a rate of $139 that included breakfast for two, free parking (a $15 savings), and a 15% discount off dinner at the hotel. I started to end the call again, and she cut me off to say, "Oh, here's a $99 promotional rate you might want to consider . . ."