After booking the cheapest airfare available, the next thing you have to deal with is finding an accommodation that would suit your needs but won’t empty your pockets. If you don’t know how to play your cards well, you might spend more on your accommodation than your airfare (add to that the expenses needed for the tour and food!). But don’t lose hope yet, there are actually other means of saving (a lot) on hotel accommodations without sacrificing your comfort and needs. You just have to simply understand how to get the best hotel deals.
So, whether you’re planning to have a relaxing staycation or a place to distress after a day of adventure, make sure to take note of the following tips:
Here’s the catch, hotel prices can actually change daily and promotions may differ on sites and apps that you use. There are so many variables to deal with, therefore it is important to finalize your target date and book in advance. This way, you can get the best price on its maximum availability. This also guarantees guests of ensuring a room most especially on peak seasons.
*HACK: Booking in advance does not necessarily mean that you have to book months before your target date. It could just be a week or weeks before your arrival. Take note as well that there are some hotels that give 10 – 20% discount for those who book in advance.
Hotel apps and websites may give you a wide range of hotels to choose from but remember that they are also earning on every booking that you make. Thus after checking on the available hotels in the area, check the website or call directly the hotel that you want to stay and compare their prices.
*HACK: Hotels grant loyalty points to guests who book directly on their hotel.
Booking services and applications work on pure business – no matter how helpful they try to look at. Because of competition, some applications may use tactics to earn commissions by inflating the rates of the hotels available. Thus, it is important to check different applications – say, Booking.com, Hotels.com, Traveloka, Trivago, etc. – before booking for your accommodation.
Room rates of hotels sometimes depend on its location. Be very vigilant with hotels that offer very low prices compared to others as they might be located far from the city proper. You may end up saving a lot on accommodation but spending so much on transportation.
Better safe than sorry, right? Reserving on hotels with “Free Cancellation” option allows you to back out just in case better opportunities come. Though a number of hotels offer this option, make sure to read their cancellation policy and check how long its validity.
One of the best way to keep updated on sales and discounts offered by hotels is to sign up for membership (for free). Through this, you will instantly get an update on price drops through email. Being a member sometimes gives you additional “freebies”, free breakfasts, and “upgrades”.
*HACKS: Feel free to unsubscribe or direct emails to spam in case you no longer find them useful.
Hotels won’t tell you this, but they actually lower their price rates during off-seasons. Aside from getting a wide range of rooms to choose from, you can also enjoy the facilities of the hotel without being troubled with a great number of guests.
Some credit cards actually offer bonus points to card holders for signing up or spending certain amount. These bonus points can be redeemed on some partner hotels of the credit company. So before going out on your next trip, feel free to call your bank and ask their partner companies and the type of credit cards that offer big bonus points.
Make the most what you spend for and enjoy your staycation. Enjoy!
