How to Get the Best Hotel Deals
An empty hotel room has a deadline. Once the night passes, the hotel can sell you tomorrow night, but tonight’s gone. I studied hotel management, and that’s one of the things that stuck with me.
It’s a thought that comes back to me when I’m standing at a hotel desk at four in the afternoon, looking at a room rate. Before I put my card down, there’s a question I like to ask. “Is that the best you can do?”
To find the best hotel deal, I start by working out what the whole stay will cost. Then I compare the same room and booking terms across sites and check what the hotel can offer directly.
Compare the full cost of the stay
Use the same dates, room type and number of guests. Check whether both rates include the same meals and cancellation terms. Then compare the total for the whole stay, including taxes payable at the property and extras you’ll actually use.
What a three-night stay might cost
Say a booking site shows $360 for three nights. Parking adds $60 and breakfast adds $45, bringing the total to $465. If the hotel quotes $410 with both included and the same cancellation terms, booking directly saves $55. Arriving by train and eating breakfast at the bakery? Run the numbers again.
Try nearby dates before you commit
Check the same hotel a night earlier or later if your plans are flexible. Look at nearby dates around concerts, conferences or school holidays. If you’re considering a last-minute deal, first decide how much choice you’re comfortable giving up.
For a flight-and-hotel package, price both parts separately and check the flight times. A cheap package looks rather different when the night janitor is the only person at the airport who’s pleased to see you.
Ask what the hotel can offer directly
Once you have a comparable quote, ask reservations for their best total for the same room and dates. If the price is the same, ask whether breakfast or parking is included. Check any formal price-match rules before relying on them.
It’s also worth comparing any eligible member, app or card rate. Look at the final price and cancellation terms, and check what currency you’ll actually pay in. Count perks you’ll use.
Recheck a refundable booking
If you book a refundable rate, put the cancellation deadline and the hotel’s local time in your calendar. Check again before that deadline. If the price falls, ask the hotel to adjust it or confirm the replacement booking before cancelling the original.
I’d consider a non-refundable rate when the saving is enough to justify losing the booking cost if my plans change.
Choose the neighbourhood before the room
I’d work out where I’ll spend most of my time before chasing a lower rate. A room farther out can look cheap until you add the daily fares and the time it takes to get back each evening.
Next step: Use the Neighborhood Finder to shortlist areas, then compare the full price of two rooms you’d be happy to book.
Great website, how do you get all this information?I have read through a few posts on your website and I love your writing style. Thanks a million, keep up the good work.
Thanks for the kind words. Travel travel and more travel.I am glad you enjoy it.