You want 5 Star, you'll pay for it. The hotel people dont care; they get the American tourist though down in numbers will pay in advance, perhaps through some promotion.
Try 4 Star, lots of competition here, weddings, funerals, daytrippers, Super Valu merchants (including moi). Ring the hotel not more than two days before you travel and ask for their lowest price (you dont need to haggle). They need you and probably are nearly full anyway. You are the icing on the cake for them. You book what is probably same room type, eat the same food and drink what others drink - win/win. An empty room earns nothing and probably costs the hotel in heating etc.
Mrs Leper and I stopped off in a hotel down the country some years ago where there was a wedding going on. We knew some of the guests and had a few drinks (well more than a few drinks) and decided to stay in the hotel. I approached the desk and received a price that would make the Quinns shirk and after declining went to the internet and "low and behold" the same hotel came up at a knock-down price. I booked through the net and went to the desk where the same receptionist handed me the room keys. I challenged her earlier price to be told there is an "on-demand" price and an internet price the latter being then 50% cheaper. Some of these people make up terms and conditions that are contrary to doing any kind of business.
It taught me a great lesson. I have found that by ringing the hotel their price is even cheaper than their Supervalu Break price and in the restaurant you choose of the hotel menu rather than the plastic Supervalu menu.
While I'm at it, I think some hotels and bars would want to do something about their soft drink prices which usually are crazy. I see nothing wrong with them charging a bit more for and providing large plastic bottles of soft drinks for family guests. Paying for individual bottles of soft drinks is another of their ripoffs.