How to land a deal on hotels

Of course there's Orbitz and Travelocity.

And we can't forget about Expedia and the new kid on the block: Kayak.

There are countless other online travel sites.

Aside from this, one can always pick up the phone and ask.  But here's one other tool: if you're going to be in an area for close to a week, ask for their weekly rates.  You'd be surprised how deep a discount you may land.