6 Money-Saving Hotel Tips

1. Enroll in a Loyalty Program
Many hotel chains are now offering free loyalty programs with incentives like earning free rooms after multiple stays. If you travel often and stay at the same chain, or one of its participating partners, you may save on future family vacations. (If you're a business traveler, enroll in these programs and use the free nights you earn for the family vacation.)

But even if you are not a frequent traveler, becoming a member can still save you money. Often, loyalty members receive free Internet service, bottled water, newspapers, spa access and room upgrades. Discounts and special rates are also a perk, as well as early check in and late check out. At the Omni Hotels, where kids can receive backpacks of goodies and more as a part of the Omni Kids program, our free enrollment in the rewards program saved us 9.95 per day in Internet fees.

2. Stay Where Kids Stay and Eat Free
While hotels don't make it a habit to charge for the children staying in a hotel room with their parents, there are some that do, such as all-inclusives who charge per person due to food and activity charges. Look for hotels that offer kids' stay free incentives, especially chains like Holiday Inn, who never charge for kids sharing a room with their parents.

And even better perk are hotels offering free meals for kids. Sure, it's a way to keep paying adults eating on premises, but when you're traveling with a family of five and three of those meals are free, three times a day, the savings really add up. (Note: Eat free packages often require one free child per one paying adult so large or single-parent families may have to pay for additional children.)

And don't forget to watch for hotels providing complimentary breakfast, where the entire family can eat cold and hot breakfast items daily before embarking on adventures. Don't be afraid to grab a couple of pieces of fruit or a muffin to take with you as a mid-morning snack.

3. Eat In
Food can be a big expenditure in a family vacation, which is why we look for hotels with in-room refrigerators and visit the local convenience store for snack items and drinks to keep the family well stocked. Even if the hotel only offers a mini bar, you can ask the hotel to clear it out so you can have an empty fridge to store the basics, like soft drinks, milk, fruit and yogurt. Even if you just buy a six-pack of soda at the local convenience store, you'll cut half the costs of the vending machines, while mini boxes of cereal and a half gallon of milk ensures kids get their morning meal, even while you're still in the shower. (This, in itself, can be a godsend, as well, if your children are anything like mine and cannot wait more than five minutes for breakfast!)

4. Combine and Save
Booking sites like Expedia.com provide discounts to vacationers who book both their airfare and hotel during one booking. While a flight and a hotel booking separately may list one price, when combined may bring the total cost down for a big saving. A search for a hotel near Disney World on Expedia showed me we could save up to $450 on a weeklong trip if we booked the flight and hotel at the same time.

5. Ask for a Discount
Economic times are tough, meaning hotels are often not able to reach full capacity. Their loss can be your gain if you ask for a discount on your room rate. If you see another less family-friendly hotel with a lower rate, ask your hotel you're preference to stay with them at a similar rate. If traveling to a city or you don't expect to spend much time in a hotel, consider hotels that cater mostly to business travelers -- on weekends, the hotels offer steep discounts to lure weekend bookings.

6. Check Hotel Websites
It's easy to use sites like Travelocity.com to book hotels, and although, for the most part, these prices are the lowest the hotels offer, sometimes hotel websites provide even lower rates if you book through their sites. Hotel websites will also list special packages and promotions, as well as discount codes and coupons. On one recent trip, I found the best rate for a moderate-priced hotel chain to be $150 per night when I reviewed the hotel booking sites. By visiting the hotel's website, I discovered the same room available for under $100 per night.