I saw a query in the newspaper about the cheapest time to visit New York. This might be of use to those planning honeymoons. I can imagine that after the hefty wedding bill, brides are looking for the best bargains on holidays as well. 

The cheapest time to visit anywhere is when no one else wants do. On American public holidays, they are more likely to want to be at home with their families. Get an American calendar and pick few holiday weekends like Memorial Day (25 May) Labour Day (7 September) and try the hotels where you’ll find their rooms rates are much lower than usual. I also realise that 25 May is a bank holiday in the UK so a great way to tie it in. My fiance has a great work scheme where they put in an extra hour every day and get every other friday off. So if I could book a long weekend if I book for leaving thursday and coming back monday. 

For bigger discounts, travel in January or February because most people are afraid of the winter conditions. You can expect a room for half the cost than in spring or summer. Flights are cheaper in Jan - as noticed by the massive BA sale advertised a few months ago. 

Finally, if you are doing a weekend, go Saturday to Monday instead of Friday to Sunday as Sunday nights are more affordable. When I was booking my Eurostar Easter holiday, I found that saturday was the only day they had free tickets. I guess most people try to head out on a thursday or friday so saturdays are a good option for those who are hunting around for a good bargain. 

Here are the UK bank holidays for 2009, 2010 and 2011: