Travel

How to Make Sure You Get the Best Deal on a Hotel Room

How You Can Find Good Deals on a Hotel Room

There are many different options when it comes to finding a bargain hotel room:

Use Search sites
Find Coupon Codes
Make Use of Airline Miles
Use your Credit Card
Use Last-Minute deals
Find Mystery Deals
Be aware of hotel discounts

All these are to be used before you decide on a hotel room. Here is how you can use these techniques to score discounts on a hotel room.

Using search sites

By this we are not referring to google for your hunt for cheap rooms at a hotel. There are many websites out there that can help you find hotel rooms.

Regular search sites

Sites like Expedia, booking.com, hotel.com. let you search for hotel rooms. You can enter how much you want to spend or browse.

To get the best deal for your money though, you should set price alerts for when they go on sale, before you book and wait a little.

Mistery Last-Minute Deal Sites

These are great if you do not have your heart set on a hotel, but just a region for example. Sites like Hotwire and Priceline will give you the chance to bid and get the cheapest deals on accommodations.

You won’t know where you will end up staying until after you have paid, but they offer great rooms for a very discounted price point.

Find Coupon Codes

Group buy sites, like Groupon frequently offer great deals on hotel rooms. This is especially true for nicer rooms.

You should always make sure that these deals are available for your desired travel time of course and make sure there are no additional hidden fees.

Make Use of the Discounts That Are Already in Your Pocket

This sounds weird at first huh. This is what we mean by it:

Use Your Credit Card

Many credit cards have travel perks included automatically. Check your credit card and see what deals you might be able to get, simply by using it to book a hotel room.

Use Your Airline Miles

Yes, we all collect them, but often, we do not get enough to actually get a bonus flight. Most programs let you use these miles on hotels and even if you can only safe the cost of one night at a hotel, that’s a lot of money saved.

Hotel Discounts

Many hotels actually offer perks you might have access to and aren’t even aware of.

Longer stays

This only applies to longer stays. Starting at about a week many hotels offer cheaper rates. Staying even longer? You can save more!

Always check for the discounts you can get on longer stays and be aware that this is a rule that applies to most hotels.

Bonus Programs

Most hotels have loyalty programs. These will frequently give you benefits from the first day. You may save on your booking or you might have access to some additional perks.

How Else Can You Save Money on Hotel Rooms?

You probably wondered if these were all the ideas we had. Don’t worry. We have more tips on how to get a good deal on a hotel room.

Be aware of your timing
Make use of price matching
Know how to get more for your money
Don’t be scared to call directly
Get the most for your money

Timing matters

That is not just true for travel and leisure, but all parts of life. Here is how timing can impact your stay at a hotel.

Late Check-In

This is a trick used by many travelers. If you check in towards the end of the day the total already knows its occupancy.

This place in your cards, because it is much easier to get an upgrade this way. A free upgrade means a lot of money saved.

Book during the cancellation period

This might not be for the faint hearted, but if you are up for adventures, this trick will save you a lot of cash on a hotel room.

Usually the cancellation period is between 48 and 24 hours before a desired stay at a hotel. Rooms that are cancelled during this time enter the market at a much lower price point.

Even if you are set on a hotel, chances are there are rooms available, if not at this cheaper rate. This can get you a hotel room at a very discounted price point however.

The Rule of Opposites

Be aware of who books hotels when. During the week most business travel is booked, while people look for vacation on the weekend.

Use the knowledge you have.

Book holidays during the week and business trips on the weekend and get great deals for your next hotel stays.

What If You Find a Better Deal on a Hotel Room?

Oh, who hasn’t experienced this. You find something you like, you purchase it and later-on you find it for cheaper. So annoying, but there is something that can help you with this.

Price matching

Just like many large retail stores, hotels and booking websites will match a cheaper price you find somewhere else. Oftentimes even a couple days after your initial booking.

It surely never hurts to ask for this, but sites like hotels.com are known for price matching. Try your luck.

Location, Location, Location

There are different ways locations may impact the price point of a room.

Business Hotels

Should you find yourself in Europe during the summer months, make sure you look at business hotels as well. Business is slower and many hotels are far away from reaching their optimal occupancy.

Cheap deals are available in Business Hotels in Europe all throughout the summer.

The Location of your Room

Yes, even that can impact how much you can get for your money. Ask for a corner room during check in. Corner rooms frequently have more square footage, therefore giving you more space for your money!

Call the Hotel directly

This trick is something many people neglect. Calling the hotel directly means you are interested in their rooms. They will want you as your guest.

While on websites it’s luck if you choose them, they know you are interested when you call and they will most likely provide you with a better deal.