For Hotel Discounts, There’s Nothing Like a Good Book : Bargains: Booklet programs aren’t for every traveler, but the right one can pay for itself in one reservation.

Every year, the flood of hotel and restaurant discount books seems to rise a bit higher, and the choices among them seem to get a little more complicated. But don’t turn and run. The right booklet could easily pay for itself with the first reservation you make.

The big pitch of most programs is that once you buy their annual book (with an ID card included that’s valid for one year), they get you a 50% discount at selected hotels. Most programs also offer various further discounts, such as special offers from cruise lines and airlines and discounts of 10% at chain hotels.

The two catches are: a) the discount is calculated from the hotel’s advertised “rack rate,” which is much higher than most shrewd travelers pay, and b) the discount offer is based on availability, so if your chosen hotel expects to be 80% full on the night of your stay, it probably won’t be willing to rent any rooms at half off. There’s a further potential complication if you usually make reservations through a favorite travel agent: These programs are designed for travelers who book their own trips, and there’s no financial incentive for a travel agent to participate in or recommend them.

But if you’re willing to book your own room (usually between two and 30 days in advance) and use the hotels listed (some programs will disclose them in advance and some won’t, but they usually cover a broad range), the savings possibilities are substantial. Last month, in listing the best deals to be found in 1994, editors of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter opined that “every traveler should belong to at least one half-price hotel program.”

*

The biggest discount book company of its kind is the 33-year-old Entertainment Publications Inc. (40 Oakview Drive, Trumbull, Conn. 06611; tel. 800-445-4137), which publishes more than 125 different discount books. When those Consumer Reports editors evaluated 10 discount book programs last year, they pronounced Entertainment their favorite “for its extensive coverage and diversity.”

Most of the Entertainment books are keyed to specific North American cities, from Fresno to Toronto, cost $28-$48, and offer discounts on hotels, restaurants and various leisure activities. But the company also publishes a National Dining and Hotel Directory (50% off at more than 2,800 hotels, and 20% off at 2,000 restaurants, for $37.95) and an Entertainment Europe book (more than 700 hotels in 35 nations for $48). And the Entertainment people are starting to market discount books based on specific areas within Europe. In addition to London, which was available last year, the company this year is adding Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden; Denmark, and the Netherlands, and next year plans to add Paris. (An Entertainment operator would not disclose participating hotels when I called as a prospective customer, but the list features many respected names, including branches of the Hilton, Ramada, Sheraton and Holiday Inn families.)

Another widely popular program is run by Encore Marketing International (4501 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, Md. 20706; tel. 800-638-0930), which describes itself not as a publisher but a travel savings club. Still, the principles of the discounts are the same. Members get directories and cards; participating hotels offer 50% off or a second night free (which forces guests to stay two nights before they can capitalize on their membership). Members are also told of special package travel offers, rental car deals and other potential bargains. A year’s Encore membership costs $49. The directory includes 4,000 U.S. hotels, another 1,000 foreign properties and several hundred restaurants, which offer discounts varying from 20% off to second meals for free. (When I called an Encore operator, she was happy to cite participating hotels in a sample city; the properties were roughly comparable with the Entertainment book’s list.)

*

A sampling of other programs:

* America at 50% Discount (1031 Cromwell Ridge Road, Baltimore, Md. 21286; tel. 800-248-2783). Includes roughly 1,300 hotels in the United States and Caribbean with half-off offers. Membership cost is ordinarily $49.95, but in a special promotion, callers who mention “Money” magazine are quoted a discount rate of $19.95.

* Carte Royale (131 N. State St., Suite J, Lake Oswego, Ore. 97034; tel. 800- 847-7002). A smallish, relatively young program that specializes in more upscale properties (on the Automobile Club of Southern California’s five-diamond scale, a representative said, all of these hotels would merit at least three diamonds). Includes about 800 hotels, the vast majority of them in the United States. Membership runs $71 for a year, or $131 for two years. (A life membership runs $301.)

* Great American Traveler (P.O. Box 27965, Salt Lake City, Utah 84127; tel. 800-548-2812). Includes about four foreign hotels and 2,000 in the United States. No restaurants. Representatives say the usual membership rate is $49.95, but a current special is being offered at $29.95.

* ITC-50 (6001 N. Clark St., Chicago, Ill. 60660; tel. 800-342-0558). Includes about 2,700 hotels worldwide (a representative had no figure available for U.S. hotels) at 50% off, along with 300 restaurants with discounts of some kind. Cost is $36 yearly.

Reynolds travels anonymously at the newspaper’s expense, accepting no special discounts or subsidized trips. To reach him, write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.