Help with hotel deals...

I would go with the hotels recommended by the bride but try for a better rate via websites or discountclubs. I live in the area and she picked two of the nicer hotels in Wilmington. Say no to the Econo Lodge and Days Inn. If you get a map of hotels on Market - only look at the 2 at the river and the ones closest to College Rd about 5 miles from downtown. The holiday inn sunspree is very nice at Wrightsville Beach if you want to splurge a bit. Courtyard Marriot, Residence Inn, Wingate Inn also. Good luck finding a deal.

If you are a member of Sam's Club you can get a better than internet rates discount at Choice Hotels. I think it's either 20% or 30% off the rack rate. You need the discount code that Sam's travel can give you.

You can also try Hotwire.com, which is showing a 2 star Hotel for $49 and a 2.5 star hotel for $69 for the end of March. The caveat is that you don't know the name of the hotel until after you book. We've used Hotwire several times. Also, don't just rely on Internet prices. Call the hotel's 1-800 number and call the hotel directly. And take advantage of any possible discounts (AAA, etc.) that you might qualify for. You have to ask them what specials or discounts are available or they won't tell you.

Rene' asked me to post her comment as well:

for Jane and her hotel dilemma...please advise her to be cautious about booking hotels on Market Street. As you may or may not be aware, Market Street is a LONG street with varying degrees of "safety and security". If transportation is not an issue for her, I would recommend the Suburban Lodge off Eastwood Road:

...or something close to the intersection of Market Street and College Avenue, like this Holiday Inn Express.

The Suburban Lodge rate was $64.99/night when I ran a rate check. The HIE was $102/night.

I know Wilmington VERY well, so feel free to share my email address if you can communicate with her privately. I can steer her clear of some not-so-nice places.

Rene' in Cary 

I use Kayak for airfares, but they have a similar service for hotels: kayak.com/hotels

It's a meta searcher for the major travel sites, plus the sites of the hotels. Really handy and accurate most of the time.

You can also try Bed and Breakfasts for a good deal, especially like that in the off season when owners may be willing to negotiate prices. Look here:
BBOnline

I agree...try Priceline.com or try Expedia.com. We use Expedia all the time and have gotten good prices. Also, if you find a hotel on either Priceline or Expedia, be sure and check the hotel chain's website as many claim they offer lower prices than on travel search websites.

I'd go w/ Priceline - I just did a search on priceline.com and found a hotel room for $50/night at the Econo Lodge and $58 for a step up to the Days Inn on Market Street.