Now that you know the Best Ways To Save Money On Flights For your Next Vacation, it’s time to book your hotels. But of course, I also have the best ways to save money on hotels so that you can book a beautiful stay while being able to splurge when you’re abroad. Although I like to save money on my flights, I don’t mind spending a little more on nicer accommodations! That’s all part of the vacation experience and you want to be comfortable and safe where you lay your head at night.
1 – Be Flexible
Like flights, hotels are always more expensive on the weekend. If you are able to travel during the weekday (unless there’s a special event that falls on the weekday at your destination), you’ll likely save a good chunk of money. Also take into consideration the time of the year that you plan to visit your destination and whether or not it is high or low season. Factoring in the above, these are some of the best ways to save money on hotels.
2 – Book In Advance
Hotel prices vary a lot, but booking your accommodations in advance is better than risking it last minute as there’s a bigger possibility the dates you need will be sold out. There’s a chance that hotel rates may drop closer to the date as they want to maximize their occupancy rate if they’re not meeting expected targets, but beware of high season and holidays.
3 – Book Directly With The Hotel And Also Negotiate Your Rate
Another great way to save money on hotels is booking directly with the hotel where they will occasionally allow for a special discount or add-ons to your stay. You also have the ability to negotiate your rate over the phone if you wanted to, or if that particular hotels allows it. My husband (who has worked in the hospitality industry for over a decade) tells me that a lot of the hotels will offer price matching if you saw a better rate elsewhere (including third party websites or another property). Usually, the hotel will want your business so they will be willing to work with you. Hotel prices are also pre-set months in advance. For that reason, you may be better of calling ahead of time to book your stay.
4 – Use Hotel Comparison And Aggregator Sites
I really like using Hotels.com (you get a free stay after every 10 stays), Expedia, AirBnB (depending on the location I go it can be hard to find hotels sometimes), and Agoda. Booking.com is also a great option as they oftentimes have some of the best rates. These sites allow you to filter exactly what you prefer through hotel ratings, neighborhoods, specific amenities, and more. This way, you can shop around for different hotel options and get some great deals as there are often discounts as well.
5 – Check For Hidden Fees
Over the past years, hotels have started adding resort fees to bookings. Resort fees are paid on property so most of the time, they are not added into the rate you’re paying for via a third party company. I remember visiting Las Vegas in around 2011 and going back in 2016 and there was suddenly a resort fee that didn’t used to be there. It was literally so that you can have access to their Internet and on-site facilities such as the gym, pool, etc. – things we already had access to before.
Also ask how much the deposit for the hotel is. This fee is to cover possible incidentals and a hold will be put on your credit card until you check out and the hotel staff make sure their room wasn’t damaged.
6 – Check For Hotels That Offer Best Rate Guarantee (BRG)
If you have booked your stay with a particular hotel and you find a better rate at their hotel somewhere else after doing so, you can get your room at a lower rate and sometimes even some extra savings for the trouble. So remember to keep an eye on your hotel prices even after you have booked and save money on your hotels!
7 – Vacation Packages – Bundle Your Hotel And Flight For More Savings
Sites like Expedia offer great travel deals when you bundle your hotel and flights together. Air Canada Vacations also offers great vacation packages that allows for cheaper hotels and flights rather than booking them separately. There are also flash sales and you can book a quick weekend getaway at a really low price.
8 – Look For Free Parking With Your Hotel
If you’re driving or have rented a car, the best ways to save money on an additional fees like parking per day is to have parking included with your hotel. Depending on where you go, parking can range anywhere from $10 to $50 a day or more. This is definitely an extra fee I would like to avoid if I can, especially when I do road trips.
9 – What About Breakfast?
I don’t like breakfast included with my stay since I’m not a fan of continental breakfasts, but my husband likes it for the convenience. Deciding to have breakfast included in your hotel stay also depends on how secluded your hotel may be or how much time you want to save before you venture out for the day. Some hotels provide the option of adding breakfast to your stay and some have it already included. I find that in Asia, it is a little more common to have this included, plus the food tastes much better (especially in the Philippines!). If breakfast is included as a standard with your hotel, this will help you save money every morning while you’re on your trip. Otherwise, take a look at whether or not purchasing breakfast at the hotel or going to a nearby café is more worth it for you.
10 – Join A Hotel Loyalty Program
My favorite hotel loyalty program as mentioned above is Hotels.com since I find a lot of great deals here and I have been able to redeem a couple free nights as well. There are plenty of other hotel loyalty programs out there such as Radisson Hotels where you can earn points at more than 550 of their locations around the world and later redeem on hotel stays, flights, points and cash, and more.
11 – Use A Travel Or Hotel Co-Branded Credit Card
Like I mentioned in more detail on my Best Ways To Save Money On Flights blog post, my favorite way to save money for travel is using my credit card rewards. I’ve also recently signed up for Brim Financial since they give rewards on travel, but most importantly, they have 0% foreign transaction fees which is perfect when traveling internationally. Also, not to mention that they provide you free global Wi-Fi access at over 1 million Boingo hotspots around the world!
Hotels such as Marriott are also well-known for their co-branded credit cards where you can get annual free-night certificates and earn points to redeem for a variety of things for travel lovers.
12 – Use Points That You Earn As A Frequent Traveler
If you use your travel credit card often or have a loyalty program you’re with, remember to check your balance and see if you have enough to redeem for a free night’s stay or more! You can rack up a lot of points just by using your credit card for everyday items without even knowing and it’ll really help you save money on hotels on your next trip.
13 – Keep An Eye Out For Social Media And Website Deals
I’ve seen many good and flash deals whenever I check a hotel’s social media or their website. To help during low season or when they’re not getting enough business, they’ll usually announce a discount or free add-ons to your stay during a certain period of time. Keep an eye on these channels as you can really save money on your hotel stay, and a lot of the times these are one time, special deals.
14 – If You Travel Often, Join An Email List
Like with watching flights, you can do the same with hotels. If you travel a lot and can up and leave pretty flexibly, it’s always a good idea to sign up for an aggregate site’s newsletter and select locations you’re interested in – just in case. You never know what kind of good deal may pop up to help you save on hotels!
If you’re ready to book your vacation, don’t forget to check out The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Trip Abroad!