Deep hotel discounts during the holidays

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Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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The New York Times just published an article about finding deeply discounted rates over the holidays at hotels that cater to business travelers. During late December and early January, it’s easier to find cheaper-than-usual rooms, even in notoriously pricey cities like London and New York.

The article is peppered with examples of the deals you can find, for example a $129 rate at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans through December 29, compared to the standard room rate of $409. Or, how about a discounted rate of $379 versus the regular rate of $779 (yikes) at 60 Thompson in New York City?

Who is best poised to take advantage of the seasonal discounts? Business travelers, of course, but also people who prefer to stay at a hotel when visiting family over the holidays, and anyone who uses this time as a chance to go on vacation.

The article also quotes our very own Tim Winship, who says, “More often than not, hotels don’t make a lot of noise about discounts. It’s up to you to find out.” Wise words.

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