Best Tips to Save Money on Hotel Bookings

Start the hunt early for vacations

Hotels and resorts in well-known vacation spots are almost always booked fully in the vacation season. In addition, some properties are highly in demand throughout holidays. While it may seem early to finalise your travel plans, don’t delay. The chances of getting lower prices are better when you book it sooner.

Research well on internet

Internet is where you get everything. Start early and start vast. Look on all the hotel booking websites. Like Adani One, Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. This will tell you what to expect from a holiday destination when it comes to the accommodation that it offers. Once you have a fair idea, start looking for the few shortlisted hotels on all sites and see where you get the best prices, offers and deals. Make sure to check on flight and car rental availability also before booking your hotel room. Another tip to save money is bundling your vacation reservations. It can sometimes provide better rates and additional amenities as well.

Contact the hotel directly

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, the next thing is to call those hotels directly and ask for their lowest room rate. Most hotels would rather have you book directly with them rather than through a third party since that requires them to pay a certain amount to these sites for their service. You also stand the chance to get a free upgrade by speaking with a hotel staff member. It can also be a lot easier to deal with the hotel directly if you have any special requests. If you’re travelling with kids you can ask for complimentary mattress and other assistance.

Check the hotel inclusions beforehand

When you’re booking a hotel, the charges listed there could be inclusive of all the services like meals, complimentary drinks, etc., but it is not the case with every site. It is important to check what all you are paying for and what additional charges may be levied. Make a list of specific amenities that are important for you. This will help you finalise a hotel, particularly when comparing all-inclusive accommodations. Read each online description carefully and note any inclusions such as meals, activities and amenities, free parking, pool and beach access, kids’ play areas, etc. Check if lunch and dinner reservations made in advance can fetch you a discount or if there is a deal on à la carte.

Flexible dates

Keep your travel dates slightly flexible if possible. You are likely to find considerable price differences for a few days here and there. Weekends are typically most expensive in most of the tourist destinations. Holidays also offer steeper hotel room rates than the usual. The increased demand enables hotels to raise their prices, as people are still willing to pay during these peak days.

Package deals and offers

Package deals, which offer both the travel and accommodation with meals and sometimes sightseeing, see you spending more money at one go. Therefore, they offer more to you on a lower price. Also, it’s a lot easier for you to book everything rather than booking on different platforms. So, if you’re traveling to a new city for leisure you may want to consider checking out the package deals on offer. 

Location

The location of a hotel can make a lot of difference in the tariffs that it offers. This is true for both standalone properties as well as popular hotel chains. If you have your own vehicle or your vacation destination has easy and cheap local travel options, then you can consider hotels which are slightly away from the main central locations.

Use card points and hotel loyalty points

A lot of times people forget that there are often discount’s on using a specific mode of payment be it debit card or credit card. All of these cards help you earn points towards your next hotel stay with your everyday expenditure. Make sure to compare cards to find which offers the best rewards for you - and also keep in mind that the majority of these cards have an annual fee.

Also, all big names in the hotel industry offer loyalty reward program which comes with an array of offers like discounts and additional facilities. So make sure that you check all your card offers and use your loyalty reward points to make your hotel bookings for a winning deal.

Finally, make sure to compare the total price at each website, for each hotel, including all taxes and fees, any hidden charges, and any other extra charges. Enjoy your vacation!