No matter what the purpose of the travelling, choosing the right hotel is key to a trips success. Experienced travellers know the tricks to booking the best hotels and if you follow the following steps you could get yourself the best hotels, for the smallest prices.

Financial Considerations

Trying to travel on a budget is always hard and saving a few $'s per night can add up to some big savings over a week or two. The best ways to do this are:

• Use the internet. There are plenty of on line only travel agencies that are designed to get you the best prices on hotels, flights, car rental and much more for your holiday. Start off by looking at Expedia, Travelocity, and PriceLine  to get a feel for the prices. These three are often the cheapest too.

• Coupon books. These little books of vouchers seem like such a waste of time when you find them, but never overlook them. You can find some good savings in these little books although the free ones have less amazing deals in them. Some coupon books do offers of up to 50% off flights and hotels as long as you book in advance.

• Join travel groups. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is one of the largest and best known of these and can offer good discounts for members. Group discounts are even cheaper through the AAA

• If possible, travel off-peak or out of season. Las Vegas for example is much cheaper to visit if you plan on staying Monday to Thursday rather than at the weekend. Unfortunately this won't work for all types of trips. Going skiing in the off season has its drawbacks.

• Visit the website of independent hotels to check rates for specific areas, don't just rely on the internet though. Give them a call and see if you can get a better deal if you pre-book a 5 day block for the same room. Some independent hotels offer deals where you pre-book for a certain number of days, and you get one or two free days extra.

Choosing The Right Hotel

Before looking at hotels, work out your budget. Have a figure for the per night and the per week written down and don't go over that figure. Get an idea of the feel of accommodation you require. Do you need a 4* hotel, or will a 3* be OK? The best rule to stick to, is if your not going to use it, why pay extra for it?

• Always double check any specifications on websites. Travel guides, brochures and magazine articles all specify the extras to entice you in, but are they all 100% accurate? No there not, pick up the phone and call the hotel yourself to double check. . Whether it’s an indoor swimming pool, on-site restaurant, in house laundry, Wi-Fi connections, or a gym, make sure the hotel you consider has what you need.

• Visit the website of the hotel to have a look at photographs and read text about the guest services on site. Remember that photos of a hotel are usually for promotional purposes and they will always photograph the best bits, not the worst.

• Read reviews. Epinions (http://www.epinions.com) provides a collection of candid reviews of a growing number of hotels. So do Travelocity and Expedia. Read reviews of the hotels your interested in staying in before you book. If there are an alarming number of dissatisfied customers, then avoid and book somewhere else.

• Call the Tourist Bureau or Chamber of Commerce in the city or town you plan on travelling to. Local knowledge goes a long way when booking a hotel and they're also not affiliated to the hotels involved. Its also worth asking about public transport and parking for the local area as well. Its always good to be prepared.

Comparing prices on-line is easy these days. There are sites designed to do it for you. Always plan a head though, a few hours planning and researching can save a lot of problems when your on your holiday or business trip.