Due to airline delays and cancellations, it’s nearly imperative to fly to the port of embarkation a day early.  So, this means you’ll need a hotel and, if you’re like me, I want quality at the best price available.

I’ve a big fan of Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” feature, where I bid for the lowest price on a hotel.  The downside, however, is that I won’t know the name of the hotel until I’ve plunked down my credit card.

I found another search that may be just as good:  Hotels Combined.  This web site searches dozens of other discount hotel sites and comes up with the best bargains.  And I love the qualifiers.  For example, I can narrow the search to four- and five-star properties and also search for hotels with airport shuttles, fitness centers and even “pets allowed”.  Each hotel/resort has member reviews and rating, plus maps and hotel features.  

I searched for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale on the night of October 24, 2008 and found excellent prices.  The Westin was priced at $149, the Sheraton at $159 and the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six for $159.  What also came up were the three web sites where the lowest rates are offered.

We all expect the internet to solve our problems at the speed of light and Hotels Combineddoes that.    Among the sites I didn’t have to visit are Orbitz, Hotel.com, Travelocity, Priceline and a dozen or so more.   And, you can search for hotels worldwide.