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Accommodation is one of the biggest fixed costs travelers have and reducing that cost can lead to big savings. Where you sleep, whether in a hotel room or hostel, at night is one of your major fixed travel expenses, so learning how to save money on accommodation will help you to keep more money in your pocket for spending on activities and experiences.
Below are some tips on how to slash your payment for hotel room when you are in vacation:
Travel in the shoulder-season
One of the obvious tips on how to save money on accommodation is by travelling in the shoulder season, that time period between the peak and off-peak season. Accommodation costs will be lower, the weather will still be favorable and in popular destinations, you’ll avoid the large crowds which make sightseeing easier. Moreover, you will also save money on flights and car rental.
Book rooms that offer free cancellation
Book a room in advance at the best rate you can find online, and then keep an eye on prices to see if you can get a better deal at another property, or even at the same hotel. For example, Booking.com offers free cancellation on most rooms. And their book now, pay later at check-in system allows you to lock in that rate with some flexibility. Just check the booking conditions per room type and you’ll have peace of mind when booking through them.
Use credit card points to purchase hotel rooms
Many credit cards offer huge bonus points just for signing up or spending a certain amount of money within a set time period. Did you know these points can often be used to purchase hotel rooms? Before your next trip, call your bank to see what credit cards they recommend to score the highest bonus.
Read the reviews
Check out consumer review sites like TripAdvisor.com, which gathers and aggregates reviews of hotels by former patrons. TripAdvisor.com is a good resource because it organizes reviews by the type of stay so that you can search for people most like yourself and see what they had to say about the hotel. Often, the reviews will speak to whatever attributes you’re looking for in a hotel and you can make better decisions based upon them.
Compare prices online
Expedia, Kayak (an aggregator of other search engines), Orbitz, Priceline (an auction style site that allows you to name the price you are willing to pay) and Travelocity are just a few of the places to start your search.
Consider less expensive hotels
Ironically, they tend to provide more for less, even in the same chain. One of them is Holiday Inn Parramatta. Less expensive hotels offer more amenities for free or cheaper compared to high-end hotels.
Do not hesitate to negotiate
Hotels with vacancies are often willing to negotiate to fill a room. Don’t be afraid to ask for a free breakfast, Internet, parking or use of the workout facilities. Hotel managers would rather make a little less on an occupied room than leave it empty for a night.
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