How to get bargain rates at luxury hotels

Michelle Higgins had a great piece the other day in The New York Times about how to get hotel bargains:

TO get the best hotel bargains right now, book at the newest place on the block. Opening in a tough economic environment, new hotels are slashing significantly discounted introductory rates even further and extending the deals long after officially opening their doors.

For travelers who can take advantage of the bargains, the discounts are an opportunity to stay at upscale, amenity-laden properties for what they normally might pay for a more moderate hotel without the latest perks.

On Maui, the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, scheduled to open Jan. 28, is offering rooms from $195 — 50 percent off published rates. Near Miami, the Blue, a 240-room resort that opened in September, has extended its opening price of $189 a night through April, down from listed rates of $360. And the Nines, a new Starwood Luxury Collection property in Portland, Ore., is offering rooms for an attention-getting $99 a night for 99 days through mid-April.

“Ninety-nine dollars is not seen today,” said Fred Kleisner, general manager of the Nines. “To me, it’s the Nines saying, ‘Hey, we’re brand-new. Come on and check us out.’ ”

On a recent business trip to New York City, Marie Alexander from California,the chief executive of a software company., stayed at the Thompson LES, a new boutique hotel on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The listed rates for the rooms, with Sferra bed linens, slate bathrooms with rain showerheads and Kiehl’s toiletries, begin at $375 a night. Ms. Alexander paid $149 — a deal she found on Quikbook.com, which is offering bargains at a range of new hotels in major cities.

I checked out Quikbook.com and it is fabulous! Highly recommended.

See also Hotel Hotsheet on How to get a low rate at a luxury hotel.

Tags: hotel, hotel rates, hotels, luxury hotel, Quikbook.com