How to save Money on hotel bookings:
11 Best hacks
Discovering stunning hotels is a genuine passion of mine. It's so absorbing that it feels like a full-time occupation. After I've completed my work tasks, I seamlessly transition into researching remarkable accommodations, often for trips I haven't even planned. On my laptop, there's a meticulously organized spreadsheet that catalogs the incredible hotels I've stumbled upon, neatly categorized by their respective destinations. A substantial part of my pre-trip enthusiasm revolves around the moment I open the door to a new hotel room. Nevertheless, my affection for locating fantastic hotels is eclipsed only by my devotion to securing great deals on them. Over the years, I've honed my skills and become somewhat of an authority in the art of finding the most economical rates for the most exquisite lodgings. If you're curious about how to reduce your hotel expenses, you're in the right place.
How to save money on Hotel Bookings:
1. Use Booking.com on your Mobile
Booking.com stands out as my preferred platform for reserving hotel accommodations. What truly appeals to me is the seamless ability to simultaneously assess numerous hotels and apply filters based on my specific priorities, such as swimming pools, favorable reviews (which is a significant factor in my decisions), air conditioning, and more. Furthermore, I have a preference for the site's user experience over that of other comparison platforms (that might sound a bit trivial, but it genuinely matters, especially when I'm poring over options for hours). Flexibility also ranks high on my list of considerations, and the majority of the hotels available on Booking.com offer free cancellation and refrain from demanding upfront payments.
Here's a little-known tip: When you choose the mobile app over the desktop version, you can often enjoy a discount of more than 10% on your hotel booking.
Here's the reason behind this:
Since over half of bookings on Booking.com occur via mobile devices, hotels are presented with a chance to tap into this trend. To incentivize this mobile traffic, hotels are provided with a special badge next to their property. This badge enhances their visibility and the likelihood of bookings, provided they offer a discount of at least 10%.
And here's what it looks like on your mobile:
Simply keep an eye out for the green badge labeled "mobile-only price." In the instances shown, the discounts surpass 22% compared to desktop rates – a significant savings!
How to save money on hotel bookings:
2. Use Cashback sites to get Money back
This is my second favorite trick, and it's not widely known. Affiliate marketing, in its simplest form, is when a company pays individuals, like bloggers and influencers, to promote its product or service. Bloggers earn a commission each time their promotion results in a sale.
There are also affiliate platforms like TopCashback and Quidco, which I personally prefer. These platforms operate on the same principle, but in addition to the platform making money, you'll also receive a commission on your own purchases when made through their websites.
Whenever I'm planning a trip, my initial step is to consult these websites to check if the hotel is listed. Typically, affiliate websites don't include boutique hotels, but they consistently feature larger hotel companies like Booking.com and Hotels.com.
To use these affiliate websites, simply look for the website where you plan to make your purchase and click on their provided link to book your hotel. The earnings you receive vary depending on the season and any ongoing promotions, and they are usually distributed after your stay is completed.
If you're wondering if there's a catch, the answer is no. It's essentially free money for booking through these websites. Companies use affiliate marketing to tap into a broader audience, and you get to benefit from it without any downsides.
Always verify that you're genuinely getting a discount before you make a reservation through a cashback website. Occasionally, the price may be raised to compensate for the cashback offer. I consistently compare the direct booking cost with the cashback site's cost before finalizing my booking.
3. Join Conparison sites reward programmes
The majority of hotel comparison platforms offer a loyalty program that enables you to earn complimentary nights or receive substantial discounts on your accommodations. For frequent travelers, these discounts can be significant. I'm currently at level 3 of the Booking.com loyalty program, and I consistently make our hotel reservations because I save a tremendous amount compared to my boyfriend. Even when we're searching for the same location side by side, the price difference is astonishing.
Hotels.com offers a loyalty program in which you earn a free night's stay after every 10 nights. Personally, I find it more beneficial to receive discounts with each stay, which is why Booking.com is a better fit for me.
4. Be flexible on when you can stay
It's widely known that hotels often raise their prices for weekend bookings, and many high-end hotels require a minimum 2-night stay on weekends (which can be frustrating). To maximize your chances of affording lovely hotels on a budget, consider planning your stay during the quieter mid-week periods when they're less crowded and more inclined to reduce their rates. If the price doesn't come down, they might sweeten the deal by offering extras like a complimentary dinner.
5. Look for last-minute deals
If you have great flexibility regarding your stay dates, it's worth monitoring last-minute deals for same-day travel. For instance, last year, we spontaneously booked a room at The Rectory on the very day of our stay and received a £50 discount on the room rate. Hotels understand that it's unlikely they'll fill the room so late in the day, and they'd rather have the room occupied at a reduced rate than not at all.
Platforms such as lastminute.com are excellent sources for discovering fantastic last-minute offers.
6. Ask for hotel vouchers as presents
As I age, my Christmas and birthday wish list is getting notably shorter. I've grown to appreciate experiences that allow me to create memories more than material gifts. Lately, I've been requesting hotel vouchers from friends and family as presents. After accumulating a few of these, it's a fantastic method to enjoy "free" stays in luxurious hotels that I might not typically splurge on. I particularly favor Mr and Mrs Smith for obtaining vouchers because of the extensive options available.
7. Book during sale periods like the start of the year or Black Friday
For those who like to plan their accommodations in advance and have a clear idea of where they want to stay, the optimal time to secure a deal is during hotel sales. Major sales events typically coincide with Black Friday and the start of the year. During these periods, you can expect to receive discounts in the form of a percentage off the regular price or an extra night added to your stay without additional charges.
8.Check out websites with secret deals
You can utilize platforms like Secret Escapes to discover deeply discounted luxury hotels. Despite being labeled as "members only," the good news is that joining is free. The concept behind this platform is that hotels prefer not to have vacant rooms, so they make rooms available at reduced rates, allowing you to reap the benefits. This approach may require some flexibility, as your choices regarding your stay location and timing might be somewhat limited. However, if these factors are not your top priority, significant cost savings can be achieved.
When communicating with an Airbnb host regarding this, be aware that the platform automatically filters out certain words or phrases that might suggest an attempt to make a reservation outside the platform. They have systems in place to detect such attempts, so you need to be clever in how you phrase your request.
9. Message the Hotel and ask if you can book direct
A strategy I've discovered to be quite effective on Airbnb is inquiring whether you can make a direct booking through their own website. By doing this, you can avoid the additional charges imposed by Airbnb, and the property owner can bypass the platform fees. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. While some hosts readily agree to this approach, others may have reservations since they value the security provided by a booking platform. However, if they are already independently managing their business and simply using the platform for additional bookings, it's typically not an issue. Remember, if you don't ask, you won't receive.
10. Look out for new openings
Frequently, when a new hotel opens, it may provide a special introductory rate as it works on establishing its reputation and gathering reviews. This is an excellent opportunity to obtain discounts on luxury hotels that are typically quite pricey. While not every hotel will follow this practice (especially smaller boutique establishments without a well-known brand), it's a fantastic method for securing a deal. You don't have to spend your time searching the internet for newly opened hotels; many great websites have already done the legwork for you. Here are some of my preferred ones:
11. Get a credit card that rewards your spending
While a credit card won't directly reduce the cost of your hotel, there are many excellent cards that offer cashback or reward points. For instance, I possess a British Airways American Express card, and whenever I book a hotel, I make the payment with it. As a result, I accumulate Avios points that I can later redeem for flights. If you're a frequent traveler, this presents a fantastic opportunity to receive rewards for expenses you would incur anyway.
I trust that you have found this article informative, and now possess a clear understanding of how to reduce your expenses when booking hotels. Best of luck with your search!
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