Strategies for booking hotels on a budget

December 01, 2008 |

Despite the economy, according to this USA TODAY article, hotel prices will not drop the way they did after Sept. 11th. But consumers can expect better value for what they pay - better views, free Internet, free access to the health club, pay for two nights and get a third free.

When the economy was booming, many hotel companies began building new properties. Some of those are opening now, resulting in a 2.5% increase in hotel room supply this year, just as demand is dropping by around 1% or more, according to Jan Freitag of Smith Travel Research.

"We're going to see a substantial decline in occupancy this year," agreed Bjorn Hanson, an associate professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University's Tisch Center.

Excess supply means opportunities for consumers. Here are some strategies for booking hotels on a budget.

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