That being said, the room does need to actually get dark, be clean, quiet, and safe. A reasonably comfortable bed and a helpful staff are also helpful. However, unless I am going to a resort, where I am going to stay at that one location for my entire trip, I don't need a fancy hotel room in a posh location.
My first choice when looking for lodging is hostelbookers.com, which, despite it name, has more than just hostels. It also has B&Bs, guesthouses, apartments, campsites, and smaller (non-chain) hotels, plus hostels. For those that are scared off by the hostel name, though, they are not just for kids backpacking with their friends. Many hostels have private rooms, and are generally much less expensive that other lodging options, they just come with no frills. Hostelbookers has reviews you can read for most of their properties, so be sure to check those out, as they tell you a lot more about the place than the owner's descriptions. Low ratings (usually bellow 80%) are pretty much a death sentence for that place for me.
Make sure you understand what you are getting, and what they will charge extra for, since some places will charge extra for towels, sheets, pillows, breakfast, or internet, and some will include all these for free. The prices for those extras are usually reasonable (especially compared to the standard hotel fees), just make sure you understand what they are. Also, some of these places have more restricted hours than a more standard hotel. Make sure you can be there when they are open to check you in, or that you can arrange for them to be there when you can get there. Many of these places are folks just renting a few rooms out of their house, and they are not professionals dedicated to your stay, so make sure they can accommodate any requests you may have, and not just assume they will be able to make it happen for you.
A second option when looking for a hotel is discount hotel booker. I like alpharooms.com. I like to compare them with hostelbookers to decide where to stay. Hostelbookers usually wins, but on occasion alpharooms has come in lower for the same place. There are other sites besides alpharooms, so just find one you like and use it to compare.
A third option is VRBO.com, which stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. These are places even smaller than on hostelbookers, and are generally people with a vacation home who want to rent it out when they are not using it. Particularly for longer stays, this can be a really good option, as it can be cheaper (but often has a longer minimum stay), plus it gets you out into a house in whatever city you are in, not in a hotel surrounded by other hotels, giving you a little more immersion in the culture of the place. As with hostels, make sure you know what you are paying for. Some places will charge a deposit, and some will charge you a cleaning fee in addition to your lodging costs. Most are reasonable, just make sure you know what those are before you go, to avoid any surprises.
The forth option is just for people with an affiliation to the military (including civilian employees), and that is on base lodging. In some places this can be a lot cheaper than staying off base. Obviously, this only works if you are going to a place with a base, but can be an attractive alternative if you are. Last Christmas, we stayed in a brand new three bedroom apartment on Ramstein Air Base (Germany) for $65 per night. No way we could get anywhere near that on the economy.
The final option I am going to mention, also only for military, is the Armed Forces Vacation Club, at www.afvclub.com. They have rooms (and sometimes apartments), usually at resorts, which are available for $369 per week. You must book an entire week at a time, and they are available on a space available basis, but if you can take advantage of this, you could really save some money.
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