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Rooms Might Suck, But The Price Is Right

There are two kinds of hotel bargain hunters: those who book rooms through the usual low-rate websites, and those who roll the dice on opaque booking sites like Priceline and Hotwire.

These sites offer guests the chance to name the date, destination, and price, hand over credit card info, and cross fingers that the hotel they book isn't a Hotel Hell.

Sometimes you can find a real steal:

In central Boston and central Washington, on the other hand, Hotwire offers several accommodations for under $100 a night, including some three-star options. And in Las Vegas, a three-star spot goes for under $50 a night.

While the "opaque method" can sometimes score you a great hotel for a bargain rate, it only comes in handy when a hotel expects it's occupancy for a certain day to be less than 80%.

And good luck finding such deals in New York City.... even if you name your price you'll wind up paying about $200 for a two-star hotel.

Related Stories:
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