Ginger
Priceline and Hotwire are still the best two sites. What you're seeing is an upward trend in prices, and a downward trend in availability based on occupancy and rising costs of doing business.
There are still some great deals out there, but location, days and volume make all the difference. I suggest you go to Hotwire, scope out the choices in the area and star level you want, for the dates you have in mind, and then go to Priceline and start your bid at 30% less. (Remember, you can only bid the same criteria once every 24 hours, unless you change either your dates, areas or star levels.) This strategy has proven successful for me in my travels, although recent months have been a bit tougher to get a super deal. Regardless, it's still less expensive than booking through normal channels.
Try
www.kayak.com to take a one glance look at hotels in your chosen area, and you'll see what open market rates are.
TP