December 28, 1999
Web posted at: 11:52 a.m. EST (1652 GMT)

From Kalin Thomas-Samuel
CNN Travel Now Correspondent

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Just days before New Year's Eve, hotels in the United States are making new efforts to lure guests by slashing prices. It's the moment many thrifty travelers say they've been waiting for.

"We've been telling consumers all along (to) hold up on booking rooms," says Robert Diener, president of the Hotel Reservations Network. "There are a good selection of rooms right now that you can find, and the room rates are better."

For example, the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas has lowered its price from $699 to $399 a night. It also has dropped the requirement for a three-night minimum stay -- to no minimum stay at all.

SPECIAL SECTION @2000: Check out New Year event guides for 22 cities around the globe     ALSO Millennium Series Looking at the Y2K Bug Celebrate the Century Related sites and stories     MESSAGE BOARD New Year 2000 Where are you going for New Year 2000? Where do you want to go?

These last-minute holiday hotel deals are a result of lower-than-expected bookings this season. Travel industry experts say they attribute that to overpriced packages, fear of potential Y2K problems and "no vacation" policies at work

People in computer-related businesses, law enforcement, emergency management and hospitals are among those not allowed to take time off, says Rhona Albright, of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. "People are on call, or they have to physically be around," she says. "The utility companies -- they are not allowed to take vacations during this period of time."

At ski resorts in Colorado and Utah, below-average snowfall also has been blamed for low bookings this season. In Aspen, one of the most exclusive resort areas in the Rockies, some suites are going for $99 a night. With reservations down by 40 percent, hotels in Park City, Utah, have cut their rates by as much as 50 percent.

More New Year hotel deals can be found on the Internet. The Hotel Reservations Network has last-minute holiday specials. For discounted flights, there are the airline Web sites. Carriers including Continental, TWA, Northwest and Southwest currently have deals on tickets purchased for travel on New Year's Eve into January.

CNN Weather Forecasts
City Profiles: In-depth guides to more than 50 cities
World Maps and Guides: Maps and related site links
Driving Directions
Currency Converter