It doesn't hurt to shoot the hotel an e-mail and ask if they are offering any deals. It's worth it just see if they will beat the prices on the travel sites. If you are a repeat customer, mention that and you will often get a price better than the advertised rate.

For airfare, I find that the prices I get directly through the airline are generally a few bucks cheaper than through the travel websites. Also, I use a US Airways rewards card, so I get double miles if I book directly through them. (I'm hoping that my miles will pay for at least one ticket on our next reach.)