Need a hotel? Cut your hotel rates by knowing how to haggle

Need a hotel? If you haven't booked one in the last couple of years, you're in for a pleasant surprise.

With the weakened economy, rates are down and empty rooms are way up. But knowing what to ask is the key to getting even bigger savings.

The Ritz Carlton is plenty ritzy and, not surprisingly, gets high marks in consumer surveys. However, moderately priced hotels like the Wingate by Wyndham, the Drury Inn, and Hampton Inn and Suites scored well, too, in a new satisfaction survey by our partners at Consumer Reports Magazine. The magazine says this year you can get a good deal just about anywhere you stay.

"In most markets there's no reason to pay full price for a hotel room these days," says Tod Marks of Consumer Reports.

And get this, subscribers surveyed by Consumer Reports say it pays to haggle: 80 percent who tried got a lower room rate or a room upgrade.

Here's how Marks negotiated big savings at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel in Philadelphia:

At first he asked, "Can you give me your best available rate?" That initial hotel quote turned out to be $209. But Marks says you need to go further.

Next he asked, "Do you offer any discounts such as an AAA discount?" That dropped the room rate to $177 and it was refundable. Marks didn't stop there.

Marks pressed further. "Do you have any limited-time offers?"

The final price wound up at $134 with free parking thrown in the deal. Consumer Reports says you can often get an even better deal if you book at discount websites like Hotwire or Priceline, though they come with a big downside.

"The downside is that you don't know the identity of the chain you'll be staying at until after you complete your booking," says Marks.  It turns out that the Sheraton Society Hill hotel room on hotwire didn’t go for $134 dollars, but $109.

Consumer Reports also rated bargain hotel chains. Unfortunately, most did very poorly in the ratings.

The only standout was Microtel Inn and Suites where rooms range from around $55 to $80 a night.

Happy negotiating!