Suggestions on booking rooms

We are planning a trip the first week of June. I%26#39;ve read several posts about ';checking rates'; often with the hotel, becuase sometimes rates drop between the time you book and your actual trip. If I understand this correctly, the only way to get an adjusted rate is to book through the hotel directly, correct? Will hotels most likey adjust the rate if you have booked the room in advance? Would your recommendation be to wait until a month out to book the hotel or to be on the safe side and book the room now and keep checking the rates? I don%26#39;t want to be stuck going to Vegas and staying somewhere really crappy or spending $$$$$!! Thanks for the help!!

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Suggestions on booking rooms

Recommend you book directly with hotels, either by web site or phone. Look for the best deals you can get right now, and book your dates.

Keep checking to see if rates go down, or watch for specials, like the ones popping up over the past week that run till end of April.

If you can find a better rate, call the hotel to have your reservation adjusted, or on-line simply make a new reservation and cancel the old one.

If you book through a travel site, you will not have this type of flexibility.

Suggestions on booking rooms

I%26#39;d recommend a few things:

1. If you see a reasonable rate at a property you like now go ahead and book it as long as you are going through the hotel directly. It%26#39;s always best to have a room booked so you know you%26#39;ll have a place to stay at a decent rate.

2. Sign up for email mailing lists and guestbooks at the websites for the properties you think you might enjoy. I%26#39;ve gotten great rates at places I%26#39;ve never played just because i gave them my contact information.

3. Keep checking rates after you%26#39;ve booked. In most cases the hotel will be happy to change your rate or cancel your reservations as long as you haven%26#39;t booked some special package deal with a no-cancellation stipulation.

4. If you book with a Harrah%26#39;s property be sure to check other travel sites for better rates. They offer a Best Rate Guarantee that is worth taking advantage of if you have the opportunity. You have to follow their instructions to the letter, but if you do it right you can get 25% off of a lower rate you find elsewhere. When I did it I kept my originally book room at Bally%26#39;s and had my husband do the rate guarantee thing before I cancelled my original reservation, just in case we did something wrong and didn%26#39;t get the better deal. Once we got the confirmation email I simply called and cancelled my original reservations. It was great since we wound up with an excellent deal on one of the most expensive weekends I%26#39;ve ever been in Vegas- De La Hoya fight, Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo, etc.