How to Get the Best Hotel Deals
What does financially rewarding, travel-savvy, and just plain awesome sound like to you? These are your outcomes once you understand how to book the most affordable hotels every time you travel.
If you follow the actionable step-by-step process outlined in this article, you will save money on hotels. You will also learn to find the best hotel deals based on your budget, destination, and travel style.
For some travelers, booking hotels is a chore that takes up too much time and energy. It’s just a place to sleep before moving on to the next. Finding the best possible accommodation is part of the thrill of traveling for us. We assume you can relate because you’re looking for money-saving ways.
Your effort in the hotel booking process will determine the amount you save. There is no enigmatic process or code to decipher. All it takes is the correct information and some digging.
Why should I pay more than I have to for hotels when I travel and spend my hard-earned money?
The hotel industry is a cutthroat business. Supply can frequently outnumber demand, creating opportunities for you, the traveler. So long as you have the proper tools to identify those opportunities.
10 Ways to Find the Lowest-Cost Hotels
You can use each of the suggestions listed below to filter and find the best hotel deals for your trip. However, there is one non-actionable tip that could save you more than all of the others combined:
Be as adaptable as possible. Moving a day ahead or backward can save you enormous amounts of money when traveling.
1. Use Credit Cards With Extensive Travel Cash Back Benefits
Begin with the basics and obtain a credit card that grants you money back every time you make a purchase.
If you frequently travel domestically or internationally, using a travel rewards credit card is one of the simplest and most consistent ways to save money on hotel bookings.
It appears to be straightforward, and it is.
You’d book the hotel anyway, so why not do it with a credit card that gives you 1.5% cash back (or equivalent points)? Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees and offer travel rewards.
For example, if a hotel in San Diego, California, costs $400 for five nights, you can automatically deduct $6. It may not seem like much, but those small sums add together each time you book a hotel. After ten hotels, you have an extra $60 in your account that you would not have had otherwise.
The acceptable margins allow you to get the best hotel deals.
And how much effort do you need to put in? None. You can use your credit card to spend on anything, including gas, groceries, and online purchases. Compile your points/cash back total and use the travel rewards card cash/points to book flights, trains, hotels, etc.
Furthermore, there are no foreign transaction fees on purchases, which is the card’s main benefit—the cashback is just a bonus. For frequent travelers, travel rewards credit cards are a no-brainer.
2. Join Loyalty / Rewards Programs for Hotel Booking Engines
Whether you prefer hotel search and booking sites or not, signing up for the site and becoming a member WILL SAVE YOU MONEY. It is the most prominent and straightforward method of booking the cheapest hotels whenever you travel. Sign up now because it will cost you nothing!
The benefits of hotel bookings far outweigh the occasional promotional email that clogs your inbox. You can typically receive discounts off rooms, with breakfast included where they would not otherwise include it, and free room upgrades.
You no longer have to be a travel blogger to receive those benefits. To achieve a higher level, you need only book two hotel stays in two years or five hotel stays in two years.
Have you stayed in five hotels in the last two years? If so, you could save a lot on future hotel rooms. There are no catches or strings attached; save money.
Similar offers are available from all other major hotel booking engines, so check them out and sign up for whichever one appeals to you the most.
3. Smartphone Apps for Hotel Booking
Introducing additional discounts when booking via smartphone by hotel booking search engine services was a clever and helpful marketing innovation.
On a desktop browser, you sign up for hotel booking and look for a hotel where you want to stay. Search for the exact dates and look for Mobile Only prices – save 5%, 10%, or even 20% off specific hotel rates.
Simple cost-cutting measures.
Why should the hotel prices be lower just because you have it on your phone? You’re far more likely to return if you have the app because booking with your smartphone is so convenient, right?
The amount of time we spend on our phones is growing, and convenience has become a buzzword. As a result, when major hotel booking companies offer significant discounts if you use their app, take advantage.
4. Check Hotel Prices Directly
This is where your effort comes into play.
Search for the best deals if you genuinely want to book the cheapest hotel. Once you have a ballpark figure from a booking search engine, contact any hotels you like the look of. Always use the hotel’s direct phone number to get them.
Hotel booking search engines are fantastic resources, but they are constrained by the agreement between themselves and the hotel. If you contact the hotel directly, you can negotiate free parking, breakfast, a room upgrade, or even a lower price at the hotel manager’s discretion. Expect none of these things, but it never hurts to ask and sometimes pays off.
Hotels have offered to price match or give a better deal if you book directly with them. Others, on the other hand, might be astounded by the price they discovered using a search engine.
You win either way. They lower the price and include free parking, OR they confirm you found an incredible deal online!
5. Book in Advance and Get a Full Refund
Are you a meticulous traveler?
If this is the case, start researching hotel prices well in advance to see if you can find a room at a rate that you believe is excellent value and includes free cancellation.
When booking via a hotel search engine, a room typically has two rates:
A non-refundable reduced rate
In addition, there is a higher rate of free cancellation.
Booking with free cancellation in advance does not necessarily result in a lower price, but it will provide you with price security and flexibility.
We’ll discuss last-minute bookings later, but for now, consider reserving a free cancellation room at an excellent price to ensure you get all the benefits if you change your dates closer to the time.
For example, you’re not sure of your dates for visiting Yosemite National Park in the summer, but you want to ensure prices stay the same by the time you do. Book a room in advance at a marginally higher rate, including free cancellation. This way, you guarantee a room at a reasonable price and have the option of canceling if your plans change.
That’s different from saying you should always book a handful of hotels for each location you visit to cancel them—hotel owners won’t stand for it if everyone does. However, if you are still deciding whether to attend, this is the most effective way to save money.
6. Book Early for a Non-Refundable Rate
On the other hand, booking in advance with a non-refundable caveat can save you money if you can guarantee your dates.
When we are sure of our dates, we always book non-refundable rooms. Unexpected issues have a small risk factor, but the low risk is worth the cost savings.
Saving money on hotels often comes down to balancing risk and reward.
You will lose money if you cannot complete your hotel stay. Choose this alternative only if you are confident in making the dates work.
7. Consider the weekday/weekend and the season of your visit.
Almost every travel destination has a peak season, a shoulder season, and a low season. Consider the timing of your visit and how it will affect your ability to book the cheapest hotels.
If you visit in the off-season, we recommend looking for hotels but only booking something after arriving in a new city or town and instead talking to hotel owners when you arrive.
If you do not visit during peak season, you can negotiate hotel prices in person several times during your vacation time. You can also check prices on some hotel booking sites and then negotiate a lower price with the owners.
Be bold and take advantage of the changing seasons.
If you visit a location during the off-season, you can get a better deal because the hotel requires paying guests. In peak season, however, demand is high enough that you will do well to get a free welcome drink!
Weekends are naturally busier for tourists, while weekdays are busier for business travelers. Weekend hotel rates are typically higher than weekday rates unless there are midweek events, sports games, concerts, or exhibitions. You can save money by conducting effective event research.
8. Book longer stays to save money.
Staying at hotels for a more extended period often lowers the average cost per night.
Why would the regular nightly price be lower if you stayed for a more extended period? It eliminates the need to clean your room and ensures hotel occupancy, especially during the low / shoulder season.
Assume you’re looking for hotels in Jackson, Wyoming, to visit the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The average nightly price falls each time you add a night to your stay.
This tip suggests looking at prices for one night, two nights, three nights, and so on to see what happens to the total cost.
Be aware that this is only sometimes the case, and you may need to look at different hotels to observe this tip in action – but it does work, and you can always look for it. It is essential if you’re planning a road trip that includes a series of one-night stays as you travel from city to city or national park to national park. It may be advantageous to spend more nights in fewer hotels.
9. Compare Hotel, Car, and Flight Package Prices
The days of walking to a local travel agent and booking a package holiday are long gone. Why?
It’s because you end up paying an exorbitant markup to the travel agent for services and overpaying for combining flights, hotels, and transportation. We recommend booking flights, hotels, and car rentals separately for the best value.
If you’re going to fly somewhere, stay somewhere, and rent a car, you’ve probably got various apps for such services open.
That is precisely what you would do. Booking individually is more cost-effective than booking in bulk through a one-stop-shop platform.
Price and convenience have a direct X vs. Y correlation. The total trip price skyrockets when you make your trip more convenient by combining flights, hotels, and ground transportation. But you can still look for special hotel deals or package prices when the circumstances call for it.
Always calculate the total cost of the flight, car, and hotel separately and then find the cheapest or best package for comparison.
So, when might this method come in handy?
Hotel booking security, all-in-one confirmations, and convenience are all provided by package deals.
Assume you have a healthy budget and plan a one-stop trip to Arizona. The convenience of booking everything you need in one place may be worth the few hundred dollars you’d save by painstakingly researching flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Always shop around and think about ways to save money on every aspect of your upcoming trip.
10. Special Offers on Sites
Some sites offer coupons and extraordinary deals, particularly for travel vacations like specialist weekend spa breaks in B&Bs or all-inclusive hotel vacation packages. We recommend using their prices as a guide and comparing them to other hotel booking engines before contacting the establishment directly if you want to follow up.
That way, you have three chances to get the best hotel deals.
What makes them worthwhile is their directness. They will give you the cost of Hotel X in Resort Y at your destination. Indirectly selecting a hotel for you, the specificity of these sites can eliminate the entire process of locating your next vacation and add another layer of convenience.
It can work wonders for those who need more time to search or are notorious for indecision!
If your next holiday destination is Arizona, the Canoa Ranch Golf Hotel is here to give you the time of your life. You can enjoy a wonderful golf vacation and many of our amenities to achieve your dream relaxation. Contact us today for a relaxing Arizona getaway!
