Finding the best deals on hotelscombined.com.

As a rule, we don't like paying for hotels in advance. Plans change, and though -- given enough notice -- most reservations are refundable, the last thing we want to do is track down refunds.

That's why we like www.booking.com. It represents more than 60,000 hotels worldwide, charges no booking fees, and doesn't require prepayment. You use a credit card to guarantee your reservation and pay at the hotel. It's especially good for Europe, and the user reviews and rating system are helpful.

In the past, we used the check prices feature on www.tripadvisor.com to make sure the price was comparable, or better, than Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. But these days, more players are entering the market, and trip advisor doesn't track them all.

Enter www.hotelcombined.com, which does for hotels what www.kayak.com does for airfare. Our search there found a room at the Fairmont Banff Springs for $164 a night. Travelocity and Perfect Escapes offered the same room for $248. Orbitz offered it for $470 with their "low price guarantee." The Fairmont Hotels site offered it for $354.

The $164 rate is nonrefundable. You pay for the room at the time you make the reservation, and if you can't go, that's your problem. We won't accept that much risk to save $20 or $30 a night. But saving $200 or $300 a night is another matter.

To make sure you're getting your hotel room for the best price, check www.hotelscombined.com before making a reservation. And read the cancellation and refund policy carefully so you know what you're getting into.