Hurrah, it is a new year with a fresh beginning. As the year rolls on, it offers opportunities for corporate and business engagements, as well as, needs for accommodation during such trips. Moreover, hotels always seem to account for the largest portion of travel funds. Even when you are not booking a four or five-star property, a few days stay in a hotel can easily empty your pocket if you are not financially disciplined or planned well ahead of your trip.
Of course, most travellers like good hotels, but when you are on budget, especially now that the exchange rate is very high, it is best to make sure you have enough after airfare and lodging to actually enjoy your trip; have good meals, go sightseeing, and buy some souvenirs for your loved ones.
However, there are few tricks and tips on how to book cheaper hotel rates.
Use search engines
The popularity of hotel multiple search engines is on the rise and for good reason: It is one of the most efficient ways to find affordable accommodations. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, a multiple search engine, especially hotel metasearch engine is a website that searches multiple hotel booking sites at once. For example, instead of running a search on Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and the hotel’s website, you can use a metasearch engine to search multiple sites at once to see which provider offers the lowest rates and best value. Kayak, Hipmunk, Room 77, TripAdvisor, and Trivago are just a few of the options available.
Read also: 11 Plc makes inroad into Hotel business
Call the hotel directly
If you have a particular hotel in mind, calling the hotel directly can often result in better rates. Since you are able to speak with someone in real-time, the staff will often be privy to rates that are not advertised online or, at the very least, they will be able to give you insight as to what is affecting hotel room pricing. Events like conferences, concerts, and conventions can cause hotel room prices to skyrocket, and of course, certain times of the year, such as the holidays, will see more expensive rates. If you are travelling and found out there is an event causing hotel rooms in the city centre to be more expensive, then you need to research hotels away from the city centre to find lower rates.
Book cancelable rates
Room rates can fluctuate as quickly as minute to minute because a hotel’s inventory is always changing. It is simple supply and demand: the more people booking rooms at a hotel, the more the hotel can charge. One thing you can do if you are not flexible with your hotel choice is to book a cancelable rate. It should be fairly obvious which rates are actually cancelable; there is usually a call-out that states something like “FREE cancellation – PAY LATER,” as seen on Booking.com. You better book this rate (but cross-check it is actually cancelable) and then monitor the price, as well as, prices of nearby, comparable hotels. It may take a little bit of extra legwork, but this tactic can save you as much as $US100 per night.
Book last minute
This is a trick best reserved for shorter trips, like romantic weekend getaways or impromptu get-togethers with friends in the city. But it is not good to wait till the last minute to book a hotel room for that expensive international trip you have been saving up for or leaving your lodging needs up to fate when there could be a major conference happening that results in a hotel room shortage. However, if you do a bit of research and are flexible, booking last minute can result in much cheaper rates. Last-minute booking apps like HotelTonight, which works with hotels to negotiate deep discounts on unsold rooms, are a great starting point, and many of the online booking sites, like Expedia and Priceline, have their own “Tonight” or “Deals Tonight” section.
