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Dotcom Deals in Miami
The Travel Tightwad · August 1, 2002

Miami is one of those destinations where everything is on sale, at least when it comes to travel. It's on sale during the summer. It's on sale during the winter. Here in the land of year-round sunshine and discounts, a Web connection can just add to the bewilderment.

Don't think it's any different when you're a local. Just as an example, I live less than a block from a Marriott property in South Florida, a really nice one with a marina, a white sandy beach, and a great little bar. The rooms are comfortable, and the staff is friendly. But the prices are more changeable than the weather.

Walk up to the front desk and ask for a room, and you'll pay $249 a night for a bay view room. But log on to the Internet in the off-season and you can snag a room for half that.

If you're looking for a cheap hotel, don't bother clicking on any regional sites that feature discounts. Stick to the biggies, like Priceline or Hotwire if you just care about getting a low price, and leave the Miami-specific sites that advertise "hot hotel discounts" for the neophytes who don't know any better.

Want something more upscale? Quikbook.com - that's "quick" without a "c" - not only offers rates starting at $30 a night for economy properties, but also four- and five-star accommodations at up to 60 percent off. Its rates are listed at its Miami-specific page. Just follow the dots for a deal.

Here are a few other addresses to bookmark for your next trip to Miami:

Inexpensive things to do: I'm partial to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's site when it comes to planning a cheap (or free) itinerary. You can search for something to do by date, or check out its restaurant guide, which lets you query the paper's database by the kind of cuisine you prefer. Looking for entertainment that's edgier? The city's alternate paper, the Miami New Times will point you in the right direction. There's a review of the Russell Lees play "Nixon's Nixon," for example-so if you can't handle the heat, you can always duck into an air-conditioned theater.

The free outdoors: Don't go to South Florida to sit inside your hotel room or spend it in a darkened theater. Really, you shouldn't. Instead, surf on over to the National Park Service's site for information on everything from the Miami Beach Architectural District to Biscayne National Park. I spent last weekend at Biscayne National Park, which is quite possibly one of the most beautiful and undiscovered places in South Florida, and I enjoyed it so much that I'm reluctant to recommend it.

Go down: If you plan a visit to Miami, take a day to drive down to the Keys. You won't regret it. (Disclaimer: I live in Key Largo, so if there's a conflict of interest, it's that I know the area too well). Even if you make it down to Islamorada for fishing or Key Largo for diving, you'll have a terrific experience. More information on the islands is available at the Monroe County Tourist Development Council site. Don't forget to check out the USS Spiegel Grove, the largest and most expensive artificial reef in the world. The dive shop that I sometimes teach for, Ocean Divers, operates a site on the wreck (and in all honesty, their prices are very reasonable).

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.