Our Sunday paper has a travel section and one of the items Sunday was booking hotel rooms on the internet, versus calling the hotel directly. They interviewed several hotel managers for the article. The reporter suggested...check on the internet for a rate at the hotel you want to stay at, then call the hotel to see if they will match that rate. If you make reservations on the net you may not get all the perks that come with making reservations directly with the hotel, like breakfast, manager hosted get togethers, no refund for cancellations, etc.. The hotel said it was also better to bypass the 800# for the hotel chain. I personally like to call the hotel and then call a couple of weeks later to confirm. I also ask how old the hotel is, I don't care for the older ones.
I like using the link below when choosing a hotel. Most have been rated and given reviews by people who have stayed there. Some have pictures also and distances to restaurants, etc.
