How can I REALLY find the best hotel deals?

There are lots of hotel discount sites, and most seem to offer the same deals, it seems like their would be one that would really offer something better.

What's the best way to get the best deal? These sites, calling the hotel directly, showing up and making an offer? Discount or organization memberships?

How do I get the best deal the hotel really, truly, offers?

Clark Howard (the consumer advisor) really recommends Priceline---personally, I have found calling the hotel and checking their price against any that I find online usually works. Don't you just hate that there are all different prices on hotels and airlines?

Using a hotel discount site really is best because they buy hotel rooms in bulk and get discounts that a retail customer would find extremely difficult to negotiate. One tip is once you show up for your reservation to ask(nicely) for a free upgrade. The worse that can happen is you'll be told "no" but it is worth a try, especially during hard economic times. Another tip is if flying is the way you will get to your destination, ALWAYS book a package. At LowFareKing.com, packages save you an average of $315 vs. booking air and hotel separately. Also, prices tend to be lower on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Good luck and happy traveling!