Source: Stocksnap.io
Aside from flight, transportation, and personal expenses, room and board can tack on a huge added cost to your already pricey vacation. Booking a hotel is pretty easy to work but it's hunting down hotel savings and snatching up as much amenities as you can… that’s where it gets difficult. But it doesn’t have to be.
For those planning for your summer vacation, here are a few great tips to keep in mind when booking your next hotel.
Booked flight? Check. Looked up points of interest for your vacation? Check. But did you forget to book your stay? Don’t fret. We all make that mistake from time to time. Some places list a lot of late minute hotel deals where you can save as much as 70% off or more on your stay.
Whether you’re planning on a whim or planning in advance, don’t forget to run a comparison search across all major flight/hotel/car sites. These sites will easily help you sort through all possible fares without the hassle of opening up a billion tabs on your computer. Plus, set up price alerts to keep tabs on hotel price drops!
Just like how there is a best estimate time to book your flight, Trip Advisor listed the best times to book your hotel for several countries and popular destination. Here’s how it works:
Depending on what kind of hotel you’re booking, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Business hotels will offer better discounts on the weekend as their clients file out on weekdays
Budget hotels has the best rates on weekdays since most visitor plans their getaway closer to Friday and weekends
Book within 24 hours of your stay since most hotels offer major rates markdowns in order to avoid vacancy (not recommended if you’re new to the area you’re traveling or if the area is notorious for being booked up)
Booking.com - using a 3rd party site to book your hotel can sometimes result in better discounts but we suggest running a quick comparison with the hotel’s booking system for the best rate. Third party sites are the best for bundled options plus, you can’t beat the convenience of booking all in one.
They exist and they’re newly updated nearly every week for one of many reasons… to help you save. Don’t skip out on these money-saving codes, they can cut up to an extra $20 off your hotel visit or browse from highly discount vacation packages. If you’re using popular 3rd party booking sites, slap a coupon code on top for better discounts.
Here are some hotel coupon discounts currently available to help you save today (you can always browse the store page to find new promotions and deals):
Up to $50 Off Memorial Day Hotels from CheapOair
Extra $20 Off $100 on Hot Rate Hotels from Hotwire
Extra 5-10% Off with Priceline Mobile Offer
$25 Off Hotel Bookings with Expedia Offer
One of the best things about booking your flight, hotel and car rental (if needed) aside from convenience and easy tracking, is that you’ll find savings up to 30% off (up to $500 off!). If you want the lowest prices and especially for those traveling last minute, consider bundling your flight and hotel for bigger savings.
If you’re an AAA member, don’t forget to take advantage of your membership and save another 20% off or more on hotel stays. Multiple known hotels accept AAA discounts and these includes Marriott, Best Western, Extended Stay America, Room 77 and more.
Same goes with AARP senior discounts which are valid at most known hotels and can save you up to 20% off your stay.
Although this varies depending on hotels, most national hotel and motel chains will typically offer an extra 15% to 30% off your stay for the government or military members at over 4,000 hotels in North America. Just provide your member ID at time of booking to receive your discount. National chains that qualify for government or military discounts include Disneyland Resort, Excalibur (in Las Vegas), Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton and much more.
A student can find up to 30% off in hotel stays by running a search using one of the above 3rd party sites and comparing them with student discount sites like StudentUniverse.com or STAtravel.com (teacher discounts also available).
If you’re booking a hotel outside of the U.S., definitely use Momondo.com. They find the best deals worldwide across multiple major hotels and booking sites so you won’t miss a step in finding a good discount on your stay.
If you’re not limited to hotel stays, we definitely recommend Airbnb for any kind of travel or hostels for international travel.
- if you haven’t heard of Airbnb, basically, people list their homes, apartment, vacation houses and such out to travelers and they’re often a lot cheaper than hotels. Best of all, the rate is usually the same whether you’re booking for 1 or 2 guests so you would be splitting an already low rate in half! If it’s your first time using Airbnb, be sure to read reviews on the host and area before deciding on a place and read through the listing carefully. New customers using Airbnb gets a $20 off coupon code for your first stay.
- traveling internationally or in an unfamiliar place? We recommend staying at a hostel. Hostels are not only drastically cheaper than hotels but they’re conveniently located near major attractions plus, you get to meet new people traveling just like yourself! Run your search on Hostelworld and get a through rating of each hostel’s safety, cleanliness, facilities and much more. We love this site, incredibly easy to use and provides ample information to help make a solid decision.Find any interesting tip to help you save on your next hotel visit?
