Unless your name rhymes with Fladonna, when you are ready to make reservations for a vacation, money saving is going to be one of your biggest questions. Finding that safe haven you can call home should neither be a struggle, nor a drain on your pocketbook. There are a variety of techniques you can take to find inexpensive lodging without compromising quality in your vacation destination. The most prominent of them entail online shopping. The travel industry today is a competitive one, and there is information available to you in magazines, online, even through text messages, where business will compete for your vacation dollars if they know you have an interest. Follow these few simple hints, and you could be counting your sheep on some of the most comfortable beds in the world at a terrific bargain.

The first thing you need to do is determine what kind of accommodation you are looking for. Questions you will be asked at booking include what kind of bed, how many people will be in the room, and do you want a meal package with your reservation. Know all of these things ahead of time, or you will be upsold before you can say continental breakfast. There are several online shopping sites that will help you pick out deals based on these parameters.

You also need to know what you are looking for as an overall vacation need. Are the kids with you? Are you going to want a swimming pool? Spa? Gym? The more you want, the more you are going to spend. Become familiar with the rating system. The more stars a hotel has next to its name in the AAA guide, the more money you are going to spend. More stars (or in some cases, diamonds) means the hotel offers more amenities. You will see things like a free continental breakfast, swimming pools either indoor or out, restaurant on site, concierge service, night maids, day maids -- there is no end to the list. In fact, it is surprising that in the pre-online shopping days such deals could even be structured.

The more of these services your hotel offers, the more your cost is going to be. These items are known as amenities, and even though they are offered as "free services" the cost of the service will be built into the cost of your room rate. If you don't need concierge service, but want a swimming pool, look for a mid-level hotel that has just a pool. Again, the number of stars the property is rated does not signify its "niceness"; it represents how many amenities can be used by you. You can get a beautiful hotel room with no amenities at good rates if you look in the right places.

Don't be afraid to ask for an upgrade when you check in. If a hotel is not fully booked, they should be more than happy to accommodate you and make it a point to see that you become a repeat customer. In the services industry, word of mouth is fundamental to a hotel's success. Bad news travels fast in the hotel industry. Your friends will know what complaints you had about your vacation far before they hear about how soft the pillows were. Hotels know this and want to make your stay as comfortable as possible because it will bring you back. Ask for a complimentary upgrade, the worst that can happen is you won't be able to avail of it. The best thing that can happen is a premium room.

Lastly, if you can, travel in the off season. This will greatly lower your expenses. All hotels drop their rates in the off-season to fill up their rooms and get you in the door. Once they do, they treat you well and hope to see you again during peak season. And who knows, if they do their job right, they just might.

Remember online shopping is smashing but only for the smart online shopper who knows what he should be shopping for.

Online shopping and travel are Ajeet Khurana's passions. Visit his recommended sites: Cheap Hotel Rates, Online Shopping, and World Tour.