Travel Tips When Booking a Hotel
If you travel a lot it can be difficult to know when you should book your hotel. These travel tips when booking a hotel will help you get the cheapest hotel rates and find the best hotels for your stay.
There are various hotel booking websites and apps now available and you might mistakenly believe using an app will save you money. By following these travel tips when booking a hotel you will find your accommodation woes are a thing of yesterday.
Let’s discover some amazing travel tips when booking a hotel.
The Two-Week Rule – Save Money
For some this rule will be useless as you made need to book your hotel well in advance of your stay.
If you’re fortunate enough to not need such advanced booking the two-week rule is a great way of saving on your room rates.
Hoteliers and hotel chains typically have higher prices further away from the time of your stay because there is less pressure to book out the hotel.
Likewise, the closer you’re to your stay the price will be higher again as hotels know people booking last minute are likely to pay more because they will have a limited selection of rooms available.
The sweet spot is typically two weeks from your intended stay and hotel prices are cheapest at this point. This is the point where the hotel desperation to fill rooms meets the lowest point when travellers are desperate to find them.
On average you can save 30% on your room rate by booking 2-weeks out from your intended stay.
Over-reliance on Comparison Sites – Travel Tips When Booking a Hotel
There are so many hotel booking comparison tools available to consumers now with the three largest being:
- Hotels.com
- Booking.com
- Expedia.com
Having a quick search on each respective comparison tool will help you compare the market and find the cheapest rate for the hotel you’re looking to stay in.
Some Hotel chains don’t list their properties on comparison sites and others offer discounted rates when booked directly. This is because hotel comparison sites take a commission for each booking and it is cheaper for a hotel chain if customers book directly.
In the first instance use a comparison site to compare hotel prices. If a particular hotel or rate catches your eye, double check the price if you book directly with the hotel.
Savings can range from a £1 up to £50 depending on the type of hotel you’re booking with.
Use Filters to Tailor Your Hotel to Your Wants and Needs
There are plenty of hotels that charge for parking or Wi-Fi or any number of additional services. These additional fees can add up and before long a competitive hotel price can become expensive.
When using a comparison site, make sure you check the boxes and filter your results.
If you need free Wi-Fi or free parking or want Breakfast included with your stay, simply tick those boxes and let the comparison site filter out hidden fees.
This can be especially useful if you are travelling overseas where services we take for granted in the UK are optional extras elsewhere.
Likewise, pay attention to hotel star ratings, if you want relative comfort and cleanliness, it is best to book hotels with a 3-star rating or higher.
Use Loyalty Programs if You Have a Preferential Chain
Most hotel chains operate loyalty programs with a range of rewards on offer including cheaper rates.
If you find yourself using a particular chain more than others or you prefer a hotel chain, sign up for their loyalty program. It will take about 5 minutes to do and could keep your costs down for life.
Loyalty schemes don’t just save you money, they often have rewards like free upgrades, meals and other perks.
Book Your Hotel with a Credit Card if You Have 0% Interest
There are several credit card providers who offer 0% interest rates for an introductory period.
Booking a hotel with a credit card offers you more protection than using a debit card. This is partly due to stricter regulation of credit card purchases and because credit card providers have insurance policies in place for your transactions.
If something goes wrong with your booking and you want a refund, a credit card can be invaluable as you’re more likely to get your money back compared to a debit card transaction.
Travel Tips and Booking a Hotel Room
There are so many ways you can get a better deal on your hotel room and protect yourself if you can’t make your stay.
Many hotels now offer free cancellation or a discounted rate if cancellation is not an option.
Overall you should be able to save some money on your next booking by using the travel tips when booking a hotel used in this guide.