Update: I started asking hotel clerks one simple question and it saved me $70 in one weekend
Last month I was in Amarillo for a delivery and needed a room, so on a whim I asked the front desk guy if there were any cheaper rooms he hadn't put online yet. He laughed and gave me a $59 rate instead of the $89 I saw on my phone, just for asking face to face. Then I tried the same thing in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and two out of three places knocked $15 to $30 off, which added up to about $70 saved over the weekend. I think a lot of spots hold back the cheaper rooms because they know the apps take a cut anyway. Does asking at the desk actually work for other people, or did I just get lucky with nice clerks?
Used to figure the online price was always the best you could get since the apps are supposed to compare everything for you. Sounds like that is just not true for smaller spots where the front desk has room to play with the rate if you show up in person. Getting a few bucks off just for opening your mouth is a pretty good trade.