Theres 2 ways to go. 21 days and take a bit of a risk, then book with last minute specials released by the hotels. My guess is that its better to book ahead and make sure everything is well planned. Try this reputable site which allows you to do this. At least it should assist you to make comparisons. One tip, I found the Woogoo apartments good value, and you can find them on this site. They still dont list the hotel name, but they give you a star rating so you know a little about what youre getting. If you use your rewards card enough, they will begin to send free night coupons in the mail and email. You should also check the hotel websites. The advice you are being given on finding the lowest rates for hotels is wrong. Usually you can get the lowest hotel rate by ing direct from the hotel themselves. Hotel websites may also have other discounts as well. TI will have a discount on Mystere, Mandalay Bay may have a special related to a show going on at the time etc. Years ago, the advice people are giving you WAS TRUE.

The travel sites often got better rates and were able to put together better packages. What happened is that the hotels got greedy.

They wanted to cut out the middleman. That is what they are doing today. If you are not sure, try a simple experiment that wont cost you anything but could save you a bunch. Get the best rate you can from a travel site that other people have recommended.

Use one of them or all of them.

Call the hotel and let them know what the rate is. Ask if they can meet or beat that rate. If they say no, go with the travel site. If they say yes, they can beat it, you will save money.