Holidays are expensive so I don’t need to tell you the benefits of booking a cheap hotel.
More often than not however finding value for money accommodation is easier said than done, especially if you want somewhere half decent to rest your head during your two week trip!
Expensive price tags don’t have to darken your door however; there are ways to get a great deal so take a look at my top tips for booking cheap hotel rooms and save a little bit of cash to spend on fun activities instead!
Bid for a bargain
Although hotel auction websites like Priceline.com might not be everyone’s cup of tea, they are worth considering when you can bag some incredible deals by naming your own price! It’s definitely for the braver souls among us however, as it works like this: enter your destination, travel dates and your ideal star rating. You then enter your credit card details, set your preferred price per night and the website will book a hotel room for you from a predetermined selection. If no rooms are available for your preferred price, the website will ask to increase your rate; you will be given three chances to do so within a 24 hour period. It’s brave but can deliver some fantastic deals. Hotwire.com works in a similar way and is also worth investigating!
Book early
Forgive me for stating the obvious but it’s often forgotten; the earlier you book your room, the cheaper it is likely to be. Hotels, like everything else in the travel industry, work on a supply and demand basis therefore if there are only a few rooms left for your required dates the prices are likely to shoot up. Save a few pennies and book sooner rather than later if you can. That said, booking late can sometimes work in your favour. So if you do end up deciding on a last minute trip, don’t lose hope!
Enter competitions
Call it cliché but you’ve got to be in it to win it! There are hundreds of competitions launched every day across the web with prizes ranging from reduced price hotel stays to fully inclusive 7 night holidays. Entering competitions is obviously not a sure fire way of getting a cheap hotel room but it definitely doesn’t hurt to try. Laterooms.com often has competitions which you can enter on Twitter or Facebook but there are plenty of other companies and websites to check out too. The Money Saving Expert forum is a good place to start as they have a specific forum dedicated to competitions and travel contests frequently crop up.
Try your luck
The old saying, ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ can also be applied to hotel rooms. If you’ve paid for a junior room but the hotel in general is pretty empty, you might just be able to wangle your way into a superior room instead. Just ask at check in and try your luck; you never know! Sure you will have paid out for a room, but you might end up getting much more for your money.
Search on comparison websites
Comparison websites are useful for all manner of every day purchases, from car insurance through to utility companies. The same goes for holidays and hotel rooms too! Websites like Trivago.co.uk are a goldmine of great deals, showing you the cheapest places to book your ideal hotel room.
Take a look at Ebay
A rather bizarre thought but did you know that, along with just about everything else you can think of, you can even buy hotel rooms on Ebay? Hotels don’t list them but people who have hotel or travel vouchers or room bookings that they are no longer able to use often take to Ebay to sell for a reduced price. There’s no guarantee that you’ll find what you are after but it’s worth taking a look if you have some time available, and a relatively relaxed attitude of course!
As you can see, there are plenty of great ways save money when it comes to accommodation so follow our essential guide to booking cheap hotel rooms and reap in the rewards on your next holiday!
