Travel Deal of the Day (December 24, 2008)

If you are thinking about spending the holidays at a hotel near relatives, I would highly suggest shopping around for room rates and even negotiating with a few hotel reservation managers for your business - you might be able to find incredibly cheat hotel/motel rates during these uncertain economic times.

The Deal:
Be sure to shop around for hotel/motel rates when visiting relatives for the holidays. Many budget and mid-level hotel/motel chains are hurting right now - far fewer people are traveling, and the hotel occup. rates are down. Search rates using a variety of websites and call the hotel directly to try to negotiate room rates. You may find that a reservations manager or a front desk manager will lower rates tremendously if you tell them you are on a travel budget this year.