Here are 4 tips from The Traveling Professor on booking hotels.

Never Go Through A Third Party Booking Site Like Expedia, Orbitz, or Hotels.Com:  Hotels dislike these sites immensely because of the commission they collect (about 20% in some cases) and the refund policies hotels must abide by in order to be listed on these sites.  There is nothing wrong with checking prices on these sites then going directly to the hotel (see the next tip).

Negotiate with the Hotel Directly:  The Professor always recommends contacting the hotel directly by phone or email.  Negotiate price, payment, and refund terms.  For instance, I recently booked a "Park Sleep and Fly" rate with a hotel that saved me 35% over the rate posted on the hotel site after I called the hotel directly and asked for a better rate if I guaranteed payment (see the next tip below).

Guarantee Payment:  Hotels absolutely hate last-minute cancellations. If you offer to pay up-front with a non-refundable payment, not only will you probably get a better rate, you might get extra perks like free breakfast or free parking. 

Book for Monday through Thursday:  Rates are usually (but not all the time) more expensive on the weekends. Some hotels won't let you book a Friday night without booking a Saturday.

Use Your Discount:  Work for the government (you could be any type of federal, state, or local government employee)? You might qualify for a significant discount.  A government ID card helps.  Are you a senior? In the military?  Lots of discounts are available to you.