1. Choose the time of booking. Prices may vary on a day-to-day basis, depending on whether the hotel considers it possible to fill its rooms for the night. The best time to book is usually within 24 hours of stay, when hotels reduce prices to avoid vacant rooms, but this creates a lot of uncertainty and is not ideal when traveling to an unknown place. 

2. Check affiliation and other discounts. You can benefit from additional discounts by simply joining an association or organization. Some hotels offer discounts to various organizations, so it would be wise to check within your professional organization, university, or any other group you belong to. Your credit card may also offer discounts.

3. Use reward points. When it's time to finally book, use cash and credit cards to get bonus rewards. For example, ShopDiscover offers 5% back to Expedia, and topcashback.com offers 14% back to HotelClub. Keep in mind that while anyone can use cashing websites, you may need a credit card to access the card issuers' online centers.

4. Negotiate for upgrades, don't pay. Instead of booking the nicest room, book a room with a lower rate and then ask for an upgrade. If you travel in a peak period, you are more likely to move to a vacant room, better at check-in.

You can also try a number of tactics to mark an upgrade, such as:

♦ Calling a manager to see what room is available (usually helps to mention if it's a special occasion)

♦ Try ahead of time and ask for a nice upgrade

♦ Also here, your credit card can be useful. Some of them offers upgrades, resort credits and breakfast or receive special offers.

5. Pay attention to prices decreasing. Savings do not stop when you book your hotel. As mentioned earlier, the price of a room can fluctuate significantly, but not many people have the time or inclination to sit around "refreshing" to see if the night rate has dropped. Services like Yapta track the price of your room and let you know when it drops. Tingo takes a step further and effectively recharges the camera for you, crediting the difference to your account. Also, look at other rooms in the same hotel: If a better room price drops below yours, the service will improve even if the room price has not changed.