No Room at the Inn?

One of the touching aspects of the Christmas story is that there was "no room at the inn" for the Holy Family in Bethlehem, and therefore Christ was born in a manger.
For modern travellers, finding a place to stay is usually a lot easier. With toll-free numbers, sites like www.hotels.com and www.booking.com as well as hotel Websites, making a reservation anywhere in the developed world is generally pretty simple. However, finding affordable accommodation can be more difficult.
It is important to remember, when reserving, that the price quoted for the first night may not apply to every night of a stay, and in fact if you do not reserve for the whole time you wish to stay you could be out on the street. In cities where accommodation is plentiful, it is sometimes worthwhile to reserve for just a night or two, then look around for a less expensive or more interesting hotel. Watch out, however, for conventions or sporting events that may fill up the entire city.
In recent years there have been many times when bad weather or labour strife have closed down airports, and stranded travellers have found themselves camping out in the airport, sometimes for many days. There isn't a lot you can do if this happens to you and all the nearby hotels are full, but at times like this membership in an organization like Couchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.com) or similar hospitality exchanges could be very helpful. It might be worth joining just for emergencies.
Merry Christmas.