Cheap Hotels

Here's breaking news about cheap hotels. More tips here.

I prefer to skip hotels when I can and just sleep in my car (I did that on my drive from LA to Vancouver and back in August/September 2001). I slept in my car in Yosemite for two nights in May 2007.

Here are some tips on finding a cheap hotel:

• Price comparison websites such as SideStep, Yahoo! Farechase and Kayak will check multiple websites, including hotel consolidators and booking services, for hotel room prices. They will then tell you the lowest price found.

1. Go to the websites SideStep, Yahoo! Farechase or Kayak.
2. Input the name of the city and your dates of travel into the appropriate fields.
3. Click on "Search".
4. Note the lowest price you have found for the hotel(s) you are interested in, as well as the name of the website offering that price.

These hotels have lowest rate guarantees:

• Marriott: Look No Further(R) Best Rate Guarantee 25% off any rate lower than their lowest rate
• Intercontinental Hotels: Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee 10% off any rate lower than their lowest rate
• Best Western: Low Rate, GUARANTEED! Find a lower rate, get an additional 10% discount
• Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.: Harrah's Best Rate Guarantee Find a lower rate, get additional 25% off (includes Caesars)
• Radisson Hotels & Resorts: Best Online Rate Find lower rate, get additional 25% off
• Days Inn: Get the guaranteed best hotel rate or your first night is free
• Super 8 Motel: Get the guaranteed best hotel rate or your first night is free
• Ramada: Get the guaranteed best hotel rate or your first night is free
• Travelodge: Get the guaranteed best hotel rate or your first night is free
• Choice Hotels: Best Internet Rates Guarantee Find a better rate, get 10% off
• Hyatt: Best Rate Guarantee Find a lower rate and Hyatt will beat it by 20%
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts: The Best Rates. Guaranteed. 10% off a better rate or 2,000 Starpoints - includes Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien, W, St. Regis
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Webmatch Match best rate, plus first night free
• Orbitz: Low Price Guarantee Will refund the difference between their rate and the lowest rate
• Expedia: The Expedia Best Price Guarantee Will refund the difference and give you a $50 travel coupon
• Hilton Hotels: Our Best Rates. Guaranteed. Find a lower rate, get a $50 American Express Gift Cheque