Don't even get me started on yield management as I've been on both sides of the coin as an hotel employee and a client.

Recently I wanted to book some rooms at the Holiday Inn in Guanajauto, Mexico. As is my regular routine, I go online to sites like hotels.com and expedia.com and check rates for the desired hotel than I go directly to the hotel chain site.

The Holiday Inn has a lowest price guarantee on their site, so I check the rate, it's one dollar less than the lowest rate on hotels.com or expedia. The rate the Holiday Inn website quotes is $89 USD.

I pick up the phone and call the hotel directly, the rate they quote me for the same room is $99USD. Frustrated I call my Priority Club 800 number as I'm a member. Same room and same hotel...the rate they quote me is a summer special of $65USD. No where on the Holiday Inn website does it offer a summer rate special for this hotel even though they have a lowest rate guarantee.

There seems to be no standard operating procedure for getting the lowest rate possible. Beware of hotel sites that promise the lowest rate.

Hey carey, thanks for the tip. I normally go for independent hotels rather than chains. I find the experience much more fun whereas chains are often the same.

Of course it depends if I am going for business or leisure.

But I haven't had that problem much. I do like you, check rates on booking.com or expedia.com, check the tripadvisor reviews (or vice versa) and then google the hotel's name and book on their site.

Maybe I will get the same price as on Expedia etc but since the hotel has to pay 25% to expedia then I know that the hotel will favour me rather than the expedia customer.

As I work in an independent hotel I know both sides too. We got together and built a site that only promotes direct hotel websites in Paris (and elsewhere) called http://www.lookotel.com and it's starting to be pretty good (we like to think).