There is no single best way to get the lowest nightly rate. Anyone who says they have the formula for best rates or is misinformed or works for an internet travel company.   Start by looking at the hotels website. They most often have the best nightly rate — usually in the form of a nonrefundable, immediate-payment-required, Web-only price. If you don’t have a specific hotel chain or property in mind, check with Orbitz.com, which I find more convenient than rivals such as Travelocity.com or Expedia.com. Generally speaking the prices for all the big travel sites are roughly the same and through careful price comparison you may be able to shave a few dollars off a night stay. Unfortunately the days of calling the hotel for the best price are long gone. Most major hotel chains now work off of a centralized database of rates. In fact, many properties don't even have an on-site reservations department anymore. Resrvations are made through a central call center. If you do call direct, remember that phone agents are trained to quote the highest nightly rate first. You'll have to take them down the "price ladder" rung by rung by repeatedly asking, "Is that the lowest price you have