I think it also depends on the hotel. If you're a regular at White Sands, they'll give you a returning discount if you call them directly. I also think that the 'Expedias and Orbitz's of the world' bundling of flight and hotel is a mirage and no true savings. If you don't have a fav hotel, you're better off using trivago (which hits many sites for hotel prices) and booking a room separately.