When is a deal not a deal?

As I've mentioned below, I'm in charge of putting together a cruisetrip to Alaska out of Vancouver (returning to Seattle) for me and hubby and inlaws. And even in this economy, finding two hotel rooms in downtown Vancouver that's not an arm and a leg has been somewhat challenging. (Yes, Vancouver tends to be expensive -- but $200 USD a night for a decent basic room in a decent location? Seriously? It hurts my deal-searching wallet.)

So I was excited to see a lead in the Washington Post for CheapOStay.com. And the rates look pretty good, at first. But here's the (very big) catch; when you search, the room price only lists the room itself -- not any government taxes or fees.

Not only did the final price almost double the price of a room -- it often was more expensive than the same room on the hotel's website. Or, at least for the two four-star plus properties I investigated.

Now, maybe CheapOStay was listing all the prices in Canadian dollars -- though there was no such disclaimer. And maybe lesser-star properties, or US properties, are indeed a deal. But if I have to do that much homework to ensure I'm getting the best deal, why not just use kayak.com or one of the mainstream booking sites as a comparable to the hotel's site?

Just goes to show you -- caveat emptor at all times, lads and lasses. Having said that, I'm still looking for good deals. With a couple of months to go, there's still time. At least, given the current economy, I think there is. :-)