Tips for great hotel deals

A beautiful luxury hotelLearn some great tips for finding hotel deals that are much better than those advertised. You don't have to pay $400+ in New York, $300+ in London or Paris, just to find a decent room to rest your weary head. This collection of tips will point you in the direction of true hotel bargains, online or offline.

Online isn't always cheapest

Don’t just depend on online deals, whether through the hotel itself or through a third party website. Online booking sites often “guarantee” the lowest online rates, but that's only online deals included and those are not all rates you can find. However, the online travel consolidators are the best place to start. Try these to find a rate to compare:

There are also auction web sites to try

Luxury hotel roomThe two most commonly known, Priceline and Hotwire, are 'opaque' sites which means you don't know what hotel you're bidding on until after you've made your reservation. You'll get specifics such as it being a 4-star hotel, but the definition of a star rating differs between different countries.

In fact, there's a wide range of aggregators and comparison sites out there. Another one I've had good experiences with is www.booked.net, which has a huge range of properties mainly in Europe.

Sky Auction and Luxury Link (review) are also auction sites, but will let you see the exact hotel you're bidding for. It's better for peace of mind, but the prices also end up higher because of it.

Onto the tips for great hotel deals

  • A hotel poolYou'll often find a better rate online than you'll ever get from a travel agent's shop. But online rates aren't always the best. In fact, calling a hotel on the phone will often give you the best rate. Get in touch with the manager on duty or the director of sales at your hotel and negotiate a better room rate
  • Beware of special deals advertised online. A 'third night free' offer can be more expensive than just booking three nights in the normal way. Also, a 'honeymoon package' could add a chunky wad of cash to your hotel rate and only score a bottle of champagne and some chocolates. Check on what's actually included in any special offer, and compare it with normal rates
  • Don't call the toll-free 800 (or equivalent) number! This number will use a centralized call center which can't provide as much flexibility on the rate as the hotel itself. Instead, call the hotel's direct phone number and ask for the manager on duty or the director of sales. These individuals both have the authority to give you a deep discount and will know whether poor weather is about to result in cancellations, or if a big group has booked most of the hotel.
  • If calling the hotel directly, don't ask for the reservations desk. You'll likely be connected right to the central reservation call center for the hotel chain as mentioned above.
  • The web is dumb. Yes, you're likely finding the lowest rate for the hotel, but the hotel booking web site won't know that the room faces the garbage containers or the busy elevated highway. To get the best rooms, talk to someone at the hotel directly. An important thing that most people don’t know about is to find out what floors the booster pumps are on: Most high-rise hotels can't keep consistent water pressure - if you get a room on the same floor as the booster pump, you’re pretty much ensured good water pressure.
  • If your stay is for a whole week, ask to see if you can get a weekend rate for the entire week. These are lowers, as business travelers won't be staying during weekend days.
  • A budget hotelTry to call at the last minute. Many hotels lower rates just before the date if they're not yet booked up. A crafty trick is to book a room at a cheap hotel chain that allows same day cancellations. Now, a day or two before your arrival, call your preferred hotel and ask for their lowest rate. If the deal is better, go ahead an cancel your first booking and enjoy your stay.
  • Call ahead. If you call around 4 pm on a Sunday, local time, the hotel revenue manager will be off duty. You'll be in a better position to negotiate a good rate as the hotel duty manager knows that an empty room is revenue that he'll never recoup by Monday morning.
  • Talk to the bellhop when you're getting to your room. Ask him if he likes the room as he's showing it to you. If the room isn't great, he may help you change the room at the front desk.
  • If the hotel is overbooked, ask the bellhop to show you a 'suite connector room.' This is the seating area portion of a suite that isn't always included with the suite booking. Or ask for a room that's been declared out of order, which often means something as benign as a stained carpet or broken TV set, which means it's not considered up to the hotel's normal standards and will sit empty. These will definitely get you a discounted rate as well.

Avoid extra charges and fees

  • A gorgeous hotel lobbyInquire about all fees. Many hotels make up for low base rates by charging high 'hidden' fees. Examples are for receiving a FedEx parcel, a mandatory tip to the bellman, fees for using the in room safe, amenity fees, mini bar restocking charges, baggage room fees, cancellation fees, early or late arrival or departure fees, and very high phone or internet charges.

    Note:
    If you're not informed about these charges ahead of time, you can and should ask for them to be removed at the end of your stay. Read those forms when signing in.
  • When checking in, ask the front desk to bundle your internet and phone charges. Also ask them to package up any hotel gym charges or resort fees. This will likely end up cheaper than paying for these individually. Of course, you can also opt not to use these facilities.

Some hotel safety tips

Put safety first. Ask some pointed questions before booking your room. Find out whether:

  • Does the hotel require identification of all guests?
  • Is access to guest floors restricted to guests only?
  • Are there in room safes or a hotel safe?

It's also OK to ask the hotel about how many cases of burglary has taken place and whether they do a criminal background check on their employees.

Hotel fires are a real risk. The fire safety laws differ between states and countries, and in some places they're surprisingly lax. Before booking, ask if the rooms and public areas are equipped with sprinklers and fire extinguishers. For more fire safety tips, read Hotel fire safety - your steps for surviving.

Share your tips for cheap hotel rates


Advertisements:

 

If you've got any smart tips to share for getting cheaper hotel rates, please leave a comment below and help a fellow traveler out!

You should follow me on twitter here.

Related articles:

Travelers rely on search engines to book vacations
Time to take back our world
Solar chargers for backpackers

Comments are closed

Comments

Ordered newest to oldest.

I never knew that calling around 4 pm on a Sunday can help negotiate a better rate for a room. My brother needs help moving and packing away his stuff this weekend so I need to book a hotel since I live a few states away. I'll be sure to try some of these tips when I look for hotels around him that I can stay in.

Taylor Hansen on 23 March, 2020

I found it interesting how you mentioned that some hotels lower rates before the date if they are not booked up. I am looking for good hotel deals next summer for vacations. I appreciate these tips about finding great hotel deals. I will be sure to pass this along to my wife as we continue our search for the best hotel deals.

Taylor Wright on 01 November, 2019

I like that you mentioned that you can avoid extra charges from a hotel by asking about all of the fees. My wife and I have been talking about going on vacation this fall near our old town, and it would be important for us to know that we could find a hotel that will be affordable. Before we go to a hotel, I will be sure to ask about all of the associated fees, so we could avoid any financial problems.

glenn walke on 05 September, 2019

Thank you for this extensive post on getting the best possible hotel deal. Great read!

Joe on 23 August, 2019

You made a good point when you mentioned asking the hotel staff if the hotel is equipped with sprinklers or fire extinguishers in the event of a fire. Safety is always your main priority. It is important that hotel staff are properly trained to handle situations such as this and assure the safety of their guests. If I were to book a hotel room, I would make sure to take this into account. Thanks.

Bobby Saint on 27 October, 2017

I love the tips you have for finding a good hotel deal. My wife and I love to travel, but finding the right accommodations can be a challenge. We'll definitely start calling the hotel directly, and talk to a worker there.

Ridley Fitzgerald on 12 September, 2017

My wife and I are going to be traveling in a couple of weeks, and I would love to be able to avoid additional charges for lodging. I'm glad that you talked about asking hotels about hidden fees that may accompany low lodging rates. We're going to have to be sure that we don't get stuck with hidden fees in our lodging budget, but that we still find a quality place to stay!

Max Jones on 07 August, 2017

My husband and I are trying plan a small vacation trip together, so it'd be nice if were able to book some place for an entire week. I'm hoping that I can call in a few different hotels tonight, that way I know what my options are. And hope that none of these hotels/lodges are fully booked.

Taylor Hicken on 07 June, 2017

Don't depend on online deals, I like that tip or else we can confirm actual rates by calling at hotel. As a customer it is suggested you to look for hotel safety.

Shrona Fengins on 05 April, 2017

I like the tip to call at last moment to see if there are any great deals or discounts you can get. As a customer you can ask them related to other hidden charges before booking.

Honor Zelda on 05 April, 2017

Many extended stay chains and individually operated hotels give discounts to military personnel. For example, Weekly Hotels offers a 10 percent discount plus bonus points on future hospitality. Marriott offers 15 percent off while Days Inn has a 10 percent discount. Even the Internet can help you save money on virtually everything, including hotel rooms. Many Web sites also provide promotional codes that can be used for discounts at hotels and motels. You should try a search on that and don't get stuck.

Balaji Naidu on 30 March, 2017

I like your idea on calling ahead if you are looking for hotel or motel reservations. I would imagine that if you call in advance it would be easier to find accommodations for you as opposed to finding them the day of. I'm going on a trip soon so I'll have to call ahead to the areas that I'll be staying in order to book them in advance.

olivia nelson on 23 February, 2017

Thanks for bringing to my attention that booking hotels last-minute can get you better rates. My husband and I are going to be going on a trip in a few months, and I've been trying to plan things and make sure we're ready for that. Perhaps it would be a good idea to hold off on booking our hotel rooms until later so we get better rates.

Lillian Schaeffer on 30 January, 2017

I thought that your advice for asking to be connected to the central reservation call center for a hotel chain was really interesting. Normally, I would have called the reservations desk when booking a room. Since doing that can help me get a better deal on a room, I should think to call the call center now that I'm traveling out of town. Thanks for the advice!

judy wilson on 07 October, 2016

Next month, I am going on vacation and have been thinking about calling the hotel sometimes this week. However, you said not to call the reservation desk. If not the reservation desk, then who should I call?

Faylinn on 25 August, 2016

I like your tip to call at the last minute to see if there are any great deals that you can get. Just make sure that the first hotel you book at is one you will be ok staying at if you can't get a better deal. I also like your tip to ask for weekend rates for the entire week. I didn't realize that the prices would be different during those two times. Thanks for these tips!

April Cook on 24 August, 2016

Thank you for the help. I am going on vacation soon and still need to find a hotel. I had not realized that I shouldn't rely on the internet to find good rates. Do you think I should find a few hotels online, then call them individually?

Justin Knox on 10 August, 2016

Knowing what fees are associated with the cost of the room is important. Making sure that you are not charged more than you used is a good way to save money on a hotel. Asking for an itemized list of fees would be a good way to know what to pay and what not to pay.

Kendall Everett on 03 August, 2016

Finding a good hotel room for a good price can be difficult. It does seem like it would be a good to do a lot of preplanning when you need a hotel. I like what you said about how you should call ahead of your arrival to make sure everything is okay.

emily bennette on 20 June, 2016

I have stayed in many hotels before. It has always been a good experience for me and my family. If I am looking for a deal I will be sure to ask if I can get a weekend deal for a whole week stay.

Wade Joel on 17 June, 2016

@Jessie

Well, you wouldn't be able to visit the hotels themselves before you stay with them. But checking out the hotel's own website can sometimes unearth really good room rates.

Jack on 26 May, 2016

There are a lot of hotels online that I'm interested in visiting. However, like your article says online isn't always the cheapest. Although I think I can find better ratings online than in person. How do you suggest I go about searching hotels online, should I also visit the place?

Jessie Harrison on 23 May, 2016

Finding good hotel deals can be a hard thing to do. I like that you pointed out that you should go online to find deals. Knowing that seems like it would make it easier to find good hotels.

Emily Bennette on 25 March, 2016

Just be armed with the online pricing, and see what their best rate would be over the phone.

Jack on 11 March, 2016

Thank you for the help. My wife and I are planning a trip soon and are trying to finalize accommodations. I did not realize that calling a hotel directly may be the way to get the best rate. When I call do I ask them if they have any deals currently?

Justin Knox on 08 March, 2016

Thanks James. Yes, phoning up to check in the customer service is a really good idea.

Jack on 03 February, 2016

Thanks for the heads up about trying to book a hotel room on the same floor as the booster pump. It is definitely not something that I have ever thought of before. However, I do agree with making sure you call the hotel to book a room. You can check what rooms are best and if the prices are still better online then you can always go back and book them there. However, real reason to call though is to make sure the hotel has good customer service.

James Bergman on 28 January, 2016

I thought that your tips for avoiding extra charges and fees could help make my next hotel stay much cheaper. Asking about any fees that I would be required to pay seems important to do upfront when checking into your room. It helps that you pointed out that I can ask any fees to be removed from my bill that I haven't been informed of upfront. That seems like a great way to ensure that I'm only charged for the things that I know that I'm already paying for. Thanks for the tips!

Dee Francis on 27 January, 2016

This is cool! Finding the perfect hotel when you are in another place can be sometimes hard.

mildred grace on 12 February, 2014

Yeah, actual rates should be confirmed by calling the hotel manager or responsible person. There may be differences between online rate and actual rates.

Anonymous on 28 January, 2014

Thanks for these tips! My boyfriend works at a hotel and one thing I'd like to add is that if you ask for a room upgrade at the front desk they will give it to you for little or free most of the time. If a nicer room isn't going to be filled that night they usually have no problem letting you upgrade. Thanks for sharing!

Holly James on 04 March, 2013

I learned something new from this post. I think it is just practical to stay in a room that's been declared out of order especially if the deficiency is not a big deal for the guest. Anyway, the room is, most of the time, for sleeping purpose only.

Carl on 27 July, 2010

There is only a slight difference between the cheapest rate found in internet and the rate you will get from asking from a hotel clerk. Do not be ashamed to negotiate.

Timothy on 08 June, 2010

Advertisements:





 

eyeflare travel & tips is © Jack Norell 1994-2024 All Rights Reserved