5 ways to snag a quality hotel room for a bargain price

We all love landing a great bargain. Getting a deal on hotel accommodation is no different. Here are five secrets to snag a quality hotel room for a bargain price.

There are a number of free websites that let you search for inexpensive—but clean, comfortable and safe—hotels, right down to the room number or floor you prefer to stay in. Called "web aggregators," they have detailed databases that can search for inexpensive hotels all over the world. What's more, they can display the information side by side on your screen.

• Good examples of reputable sites are easily found by doing a quick web search.
• These websites make your work much easier. In the blink of an eye, they can gather any information you may want from multiple sources.

The bottom line? These free websites do the dirty work for you and save you both time and money.

Certain programs give you access to discounts that you normally wouldn’t have if you are an individual looking for a great hotel deal.

• Some organizations make it possible for their members to qualify for deep discounts.
• In addition, mentioning you are an educator or belong to a non-profit organization at the time of booking can help you get a cheap deal.

Hotels, like most businesses, have their busy seasons. Because of this, you may want to look for inexpensive hotels during off-season.

• The months of January and February, or shortly after summer, are great times to look for hotel accommodation. You’re more likely to get a discount because people tend to travel less.
• Some cities, such as Las Vegas, are also busy when you least expect. So don’t be afraid to travel to your destination of choice during off-season for incredible savings.

A more creative way of finding inexpensive hotels would be to use bidding websites, which you'll easily find online.

• These websites usually allow you to place a bid on a hotel room and, if the hotel agrees, you get your room on the cheap.
• On other similar bidding websites you may be able to place a bid, but not see which hotel you’re eligible for until you get to the end of the bidding process.

A more direct and assertive way of getting a bargain is to directly call several hotels to find out if they have any deals, or would consider accepting a certain price for a room.In other words, bargain.

• In some cases, a quick chat with a booking agent or hotel manager (especially at independently-owned hotels) can result in unexpected savings. It never hurts to ask.

In conclusion, doing some research, getting creative and maybe even being a little more assertive can go a long way when it comes to getting a quality hotel room for a bargain price.