Check the cancellation policies when booking a lower cost hotel. Most have very strict no-refund policies if the reservation is not cancelled within a specific time prior to the reservation date.
Cheap hotels may be individual hotels or they can be discount chains. Staying with a discount chain does give you the security of having a general ideal of the quality and type of hotel you will be staying in, regardless of the location.
Last minute bookings may be a great way to get an expensive hotel at a cheap rate. Most of the online travel sites off deep discounts for last minute getaways to fill up blocks of rooms they have already purchased. If you are flexible about where you stay this is a wonderful way to save money.
