There’s probably no hotel in New York saturated with as much literary nostalgia as the Algonquin. It is, after all, where Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and the rest of the famed Round Table met for endless liquid lunches. Sure, these days Michael’s is the place for the literati to see and be seen, but that doesn’t mean the old Algonquin isn’t still a fine place to lay your head for the night

Here’s a tip on how I got a serious deal for BEA: Go to lastminutetravel.com, put in a search for New York City hotels for the dates of BEA, and scroll the resulting search page. Most hotels won’t reveal their names due to the bargain basement pricing, but read the descriptions – one hotel in mid-town Manhattan should let slip that it is indeed the Algonquin. Last night, I booked four nights and the total came to approximately $150 per night, taxes included. (That’s at least 1/2 rack rate and a deal for New York in the summer on a weekend).

If that doesn’t work for you, since room inventory changes all the time, just remember that throughout 2009 the hotel is offering a “Writers Block” rate which gives 25% off of the best possible rate, simply by showing a work in progress or a published work. Oh, and if you’re really feeling the pinch from the economy, that $56 a night hotel on offer at LastMinuteTravel.com – it’s the Hotel Pennsylvania, which is, if anything, convenient to getting back and forth to the Javits Center.

TRY: Booking your rooms using the method above

EXPLORE: The hotel and its history

BUY: Me a drink in the Blue Bar