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There are many considerations when planning a trip, such as food, transportation, and accommodation, but one of the things you’ll likely wonder about is how to obtain affordable hotels.
Have no fear- our guide on getting a hotel at a low cost is here to assist you! Understanding the most affordable approach to reserve a hotel will help you save on your next trip and journey within a limited budget.
| Inspirational words about travel and our step-by-step guide to organizing a journey anywhere |
You likely presently comprehend how straightforward it can be to locate cost-effective flightsand affordable rental vehicles, but it’s also entirely possible to find ways to obtain an inexpensive lodging. In the following article, we’ll share the keys to booking accommodations for a reduced cost and the best hotel booking sites.
Below are our top 20 suggestions to help you find the best hotel deals. Let`s dive in!
1. Check out the cheapest hotel booking sites
Many travel booking websites exist where you can find good hotel deals with discounted rates, but the most effective way to reserve affordable accommodations is to compare across several platforms and apps to locate the best available price.
My preferred methodology for obtaining the most inexpensive lodging options is Booking.com. Their online platform is straightforward and simple to utilize. All that is necessary is entering your travel destination and the dates of your trip; you’ll receive an extensive list of available accommodations that can be filtered using various criteria, including by price, rating, and reservation policy. The best aspect of employing Booking.com is that with regular usage, you’ll become a “Genius” member and qualify for even better discounts applicable to travel. We definitely consider Booking.com the optimal hotel reservation website.
Of course, there are other great options to reserve inexpensive lodgings that we have used too, such as Hotels.com and Agoda.com. The most economical hotel booking site for you may rely on your location, the length of your trip, or a multitude of other factors. Do your research and look at prices across different hotel booking sites to ensure you can find the best offers on lodging.
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2. Be flexible on dates to get the cheapest hotels
The more adaptable you are with the dates of your trip, the more probable you are to get a hotel at a lower price.
If travel occurs during peak times of tourism or on weekends, the cost of hotels will be much higher. Additionally, if travel happens to a location when they are celebrating a festival, major holiday, or significant event, hotel prices will undoubtedly be greater; they tend to drastically increase around the time of major events because demand for accommodations is so high.
For instance, Edinburgh’s world renowned Festival Fringe, a comedy, arts, and theater festival, takes place throughout most of the month of August. Since the occasion draws in hundreds of thousands of people from everywhere throughout the world, lodging fills up rapidly, and lodging and Airbnb costs are twofold or even threefold what they typically are. On the off chance that you need to secure a modest lodging, maintain a strategic distance from Edinburgh and other goals amid their festival seasons.
Different days of the week can impact prices too. Sunday night is usually the most affordable night of the week to book accommodation, while Friday night is generally the priciest.
Hotel prices may fluctuate based on weather conditions as well, so keep that in mind. For example, in Japan, hotel rates tend to be lower during the rainy season (June) and hot and humid season (August) compared to rates during the famous cherry blossom season (spring).
If assistance is needed in selecting the most cost-effective dates to book lodging, certain websites, for example Booking.com, can even propose dates.
3. Stay in an Airbnb, an easy way to find cheap accommodation
Perhaps the most economical way to secure lodging or locate an affordable room may not necessarily involve a standard hotel. Airbnb presents a great cost-effective choice, particularly if one wishes to interact with the local community. It also provides the perfect option for those who enjoy the sensation of having a temporary home away from home.
We’ve had both positive and negative encounters utilizing Airbnb, though our good experiences have significantly surpassed our troublesome ones. You can evaluate here our ultimate guide to Airbnb.
Even better, if you don’t already have an Airbnb account, we can provide you with $50 to use towards your initial reservation when signing up.
4. Stay outside of the downtown area and save money on hotels on your next holiday
The core of a city generally has the highest costs for lodging since it commonly contains the bulk of attractions, eateries, shops, and nighttime activities.
Opting to lodge in the outskirts and surrounding zones of a city presents your best chance to book an inexpensive hotel. Generally, accommodations near the airport or in the suburbs tend to charge less.
We advise selecting lodgings located farther from the city center, especially if good transportation links exist to downtown as these accommodations will not only be more affordable but also quieter. You can save a significant amount of money on hotels by simply avoiding lodging in the city core.
5. How far in advance should I book a hotel for the best price?
As numerous people recognize, booking ahead can be a useful technique to acquire the most affordable hotel rates. It can assist you in finding the best prices and help you save a great deal of money.
If you wish to plan a trip early and get your hotel at a reduced rate, here’s when the experts recommend reserving:
- Europe: Book 4-6 months in advance so you can save up to 25% on hotel rates.
- Book up to 2 months in advance in the USA to save up to 10% off. USA
- Asia: Book 5-7 months in advance so you save up to 25% off. If you look at accommodation two weeks before your trip, you may also be able to find good deals then.
- South America: Reserve a few weeks beforehand and you could still save as much as 20% off your trip.
- Central America: Booking 3 months or more in advance can save up to 10% off rates.
- Africa: Booking 5 months in advance can lower prices by up to 20%. Also, looking for deals two weeks before your trip, as with Asia, may find good deals.
- Oceania: Scheduling lodging 5 months ahead can save you 20% or more.
- Caribbean: Booking 5 months in advance can potentially lower costs up to 10% off.
- Middle East: Planning ahead 6 months allows saving approximately 25% on lodging.
Should you wish to procure accommodation at a lower monetary value, be certain to prepare your reservations ahead of schedule.
6. Look for last-minute deals to get a cheap hotel room
Sometimes you just don’t have the chance to pre-book your hotel. Don’t worry- you can still obtain hotel accommodations at a low cost with a last-minute hotel offer.
Colter Bay Village offers breathtaking log cabins along the shore of Jackson Lake, the largest lake within Grand Teton National Park and which has scenic views of the Teton mountain range as its backdrop.
Take advantage of this really useful website and get yourself a fabulous hotel room for a good price! This is one of the best ways to find budget-friendly hotel rates last minute.
7. Avoid sneaky hotel fees on your next vacation
One of the primary techniques to obtain discounted accommodations is by avoiding hidden additional hotel costs.
Sometimes, lodging costs may incorporate additional charges or require supplemental payments for necessities. For instance, at a hotel in Norway, they made us pay separately for sheets and towels. These extras can accumulate rapidly, transforming what seemed like an affordable deal into quite an expensive one.
One effective strategy for acquiring lodging at a reduced rate involves confirming basics like linens, towels, and blankets come with the accommodation as booked. Be certain to thoroughly review all details provided on the room when reserving your hotel stay so you can secure inexpensive hotel tariffs.
8. Book well in advance to secure cheap rates on hotels with free cancellation
To learn how to acquire the most inexpensive lodging, book accommodations that permit free cancellations so you can hold the deal and withdraw later if you find a cheaper alternative. This option is perfect for guaranteeing the ability to investigate and locate the most favorable hotel price. After all, you can always cancel your reservation and book a less expensive hotel without losing any money.
Booking.com generally provides this choice, so that could be an excellent method to schedule hotels inexpensively.
However, if securing the best hotel rates is a priority, you’ll need to book well in advance, so make sure you don’t wait until the last minute.
9. Book longer stays to get discount hotels
Prolonged residences are among the best means to secure an affordable hotel room. While it may seem counterintuitive, numerous hotels offer a discount if you stay for a week or more, instead of 2-5 days.
For extended visits within a country or city, staying at the same hotel for the duration is advised to take advantage of savings from such arrangements.
- The Freezer Hostel & Culture Center, a good affordable accommodation option in Iceland
10. Become a house sitter and get free accommodation
Sometimes the best way to obtain an inexpensive hotel room or accommodation is by thinking creatively.
Having a detailed map of the Ring Road is advisable so you can view the locations you will pass through if deciding to visit. This map of Iceland also shows how long it takes to drive around the island. You can check out the best 10-day Ring Road itineraryhere.
While I individually wouldn’t leave my pets with a outsider, this is genuinely an financial technique to travel on the grounds that you’ll spare completely on living arrangements. Additionally, you may even make a furry companion or two!
11. Book hotel + airfare together on one of the best holiday package sites
Securing a holiday package may help you get deals on hotels. Many websites propose an airfare and lodging bundle, which sometimes proves more affordable than arranging both elements separately.
Some of the best cost-effective hotel booking websites for this type of package include Orbitz.com and Expedia.
While packaged holidays may provide convenience, one must exercise prudence as such arrangements sometimes fail to offer the most cost-effective solution. Additionally, modifications to included travel bookings can result in dramatically increased expenses.
My best recommendation is to review the prices of hotels and flights independently and then compare those prices to the holiday packages to find the best choice for you.
12. Couchsurfing, stay in hospitality exchanges for free
If you’re looking for a great way to meet new individuals and get a hotel deal, look no further than couchsurfing.
The Couchsurfing website enables you to view profiles of the hosts in the city you’ll be visiting and then send requests to the ones you’re interested in staying with. If one of them accepts your request, you’ve got a place to stay!
People have a variety of perspectives on couchsurfing. Some really enjoy it, while others haven’t had such great experiences.
We must acknowledge that we have not had this experience ourselves, though we have tried; as a couple, we have never found others willing to host two people unless they are two women. Regardless, we will keep attempting, as it is something I would like to try at least once in my lifetime.
13. Don’t waste your time checking rates on Hotels’ own websites
If you want to get favorable rates on hotels, don’t waste your time searching individual hotel websites for deals.
One requirement to make a hotel available for potential reserve on sites for choosing low-priced lodging, like Booking.com or Agoda, is that hotel owners cannot offer a lesser expense directly on their own websites, so I suggest making appointments straight on Booking.comor a similar site since they feature the best deals.
14. Sign up for savings on the best hotel booking sites
To 😀 get hotel savings, I always advise using the identical website to reserve your accommodations. Choose the 😀best website for scheduling hotels😀 for you and build an account with them so you can capitalize on their deals to get a hotel for a low price.
For instance, as we mentioned before, once you`ve made multiple lodging arrangements with Booking.com, they’ll grant you “Genius” status and provide you better hotel deals. With Hotels.com, once you’ve spent 10 nights, you receive 1 reward night free of charge. Agoda.com offers pricing only for members once an account has been established with them.
If you intend to acquire hotels at reduced rates, be certain to develop an account with the hotel booking site used. You`ll miss out on many rewards and cost savings if websites are used without establishing an account initially.
15. Take advantage of loyalty reward programs and get cheap hotels
A brilliant way to get accommodations cheaper is to register for a hotel chain’s loyalty rewards program, particularly if you often find yourself staying in the same type of lodging.
Numerous hotel chains offer loyalty cards that allow for accumulating points, discounts, and special offers through regular use. I was unfamiliar with such programs prior to relocating to the US, but they are extremely common here as well as other areas.
A few of the most popular loyalty programs to obtain hotel discounts are Marriott Rewards (this is the one I use for business trips), Best Western Rewards, and IHG Rewards (which includes the Holiday Inn). With Marriott Rewards, you earn points that you can then redeem for free stays and get special members’ rates. Best Western Rewards allows you to save 10% or more on hotel rates, as well as collect points to earn free stays. IHG Rewards works much the same, where you earn points to get free stays, but also includes free Internet in all their hotels. These hotel rewards programs can be a great way to make sure you get deals on hotels.
16. Sign up for a hotel rewards credit card and find the best hotel deals
One financially savvy way to reserve lodging is by registering for a travel rewards charge card that will provide you with rewards you can utilize towards hotels. Some credit cards offer more reward points when utilizing the card for travel-associated expenses (lodging, flights, etc.) and then allow you to redeem those points for future flights and hotels. Check the value of reward points and miles here.
The two travel credit cards known are the Capital One Venture Rewards card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Both are a good way to accumulate points for travel.
It’s also prudent to confirm your credit provides no fees for international transactions if planning to utilize it abroad.
17. Use air/rewards miles to get free hotels
Using airline or rewards program miles is a useful technique to acquire reasonably priced hotel accommodations. Many airlines convert accrued miles into currency that can fund hotel bookings. This perk is particularly advantageous for frequent fliers who take many long-haul flights.
For example, AAdvantage miles accumulated through flying with American Airlines or associated carriers like Iberia and British Airways, lodging at partner hotels, and renting vehicles from partner companies. The points earned can then be used toward flights or accommodations.
It simply demonstrates that booking lodging can be more affordable by taking a flight or leasing a automobile!
18. Buy someone else’s reservation and book the cheapest hotels
It may seem improbable, but you can get inexpensive hotels by purchasing another person’s reservation.
RoomerTravel.com allows you to connect with fellow travelers who have unwanted lodging reservations. Potentially they aren’t traveling to a destination anymore, or potentially they were just unable to cancel their reservation. In any case, these travelers can sell and transfer you their unwanted reservation for a discounted price. You may potentially get discounts on hotels of up to 74%, saving you a lot of money.
19. Get discounted gift cards to book hotels for cheap
If you’re really invested in getting price deductions on hotels, you can even buy inexpensive gift cards and then use them to book the most reasonably priced hotel.
GiftCardGranny.com is a website that gives users the ability to purchase gift cards at a discounted price. Some of the gift cards available on the site can be used for lodging places, such as ones for Airbnb.com,Hotels.com, Holiday Inn and others.
20. Exchange homes and find the cheapest hotel rate
Alternatively exchanging dwellings is another great way to lower hotel costs.
A house exchange is when another individual or family comes to reside in your house or apartment, while you go and live in theirs. It’s the perfect way to save money and have a “home away from home” experience. The only disadvantage is that both owners must match dates.
However, through HomeExchange.com, and with a very simple points system, you can travel on any date, provided you have also offered your house to other visitors previously.
Paying for lodging can be one of the costliest parts of a trip, so saving money there allows you to allocate your funds towards what you truly want to do on your trip, like dining at an incredible restaurant, getting an adrenaline rush from an exciting new sport, or visiting monuments and museums to your heart`s content. Hopefully, these suggestions allow you to get the most value for your money when booking your next hotel room.
Trustedhousesitters.com provides an opportunity to receive free lodging in exchange for taking care of the owner’s pets. This is certainly one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel; it’s also perfect if you enjoy spending time with animals.
