i check rick steves guidebooks
i also check www.eurocheapo.com
i stayed in haarlem, single bed in a budget hotel……..hotel carillon………..but i’d recommend staying in Amsterdam not Haarlem

What is your budget? The main problem is that the cheapest choices might be long booked. Try these, though:

www.booking.com
www.ratestogo.com
www.gtahotels.com
www.laterooms.com
www.lastminute.com
www.bestwestern.com

You could also try a bid on Priceline in the City Center/Museum Quarter zone, although you might get a nice hotel that is a bit on the outskirts, or you could use Hotwire - check www.betterbidding.com for tips.
 
Also try hostelworld.com – not all the options there are hostels.

The Stayokay is a nice hostel in Haarlem, a short distance from amsterdam by train.
I stayed there once on a school excursion.
http://www.stayokay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Herbergen.showHomeHB&id=19&lng=2

Have you found a place yet?
 
I found a rate for 84 Euros per night for a double room at the Golden Tulip Apollo (no breakfast). This is not the best deal ever, but it’s a lot cheaper than many worse hotels. It’s a 4* hotel, but the hotel star rating means much less to me than other factors.

thanks, all of your replies were much appreciated.

the proprietor seems like a real class act.  he gave me the phone numbers of some of his friends’ b&bs.  the amazing part is that he offered to pay 50 euro towards my stay at their place for my inconvenience.  so i settled on a place called b&b gallery.  i am staying in the room where the owner, susan, lived for the past two years.  she just started renting it out.

the only downside is that i can find no reviews on this place online.  but she’s good friends with the guy who i originally was staying with, so i’d think if her place were a dump it would reflect poorly on him.

i’ll let you guys know in three weeks or so.

thanks again.

That’s this place here? It’s a great location, and I’m sure it will be fine.
http://www.bnbgallery.com/

that’s the one.  prices seem a little high given that it is a b&b that doesn’t have breakfast.  but with the 50 euro credit (i’m staying there for three nights), that reduces the price by over 15 euro/night.  i spoke to the proprietor over the phone and she seemed nice enough.  so i’ll roll the dice.

thanks