21 BEST HOTEL PRICE HACKS: HOW TO FIND THE CHEAPEST HOTEL DEALS

In case you were asking, how to find the cheapest hotel deals? Here are the best hotel price hacks. Find here the ultimate guide to all the hacks you can try to find the cheapest hotel deals. These hacks are the most useful. Not all hacks are indeed working all the time. But at least you can try, and you may be lucky enough to get a secret deal.

 

 

WHAT DETERMINES THE HOTEL PRICES?

Hotel booking costs frequently change, depending on many variables. Such as, when do you plan to book, hotel location, and the number of nights you are booking. For instance, hotels serving businesses most likely offer discounts at the weekends. Eventually, the price is expected to be less if you book in the middle of the week, as most of the travelers start trips at the weekend. Tuesday is the best.

 

BEST HOTEL PRICE HACKS

HOW TO FIND THE CHEAPEST HOTEL DEALS

 

 

1. COMPARE PRICES

Compare prices between different hotel booking sites. You can compare manually by opening many sites. Otherwise, you can check through a website which compares between many sites. Hotelscombined is my favorite. So, you have to work hard to find the cheapest hotel deals.

 

 

2. BE AWARE OF WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

Even it looks like a simple and basic rule, it is almost forgotten. The included is not only about breakfast but also the Wi-Fi, toiletry, free parking, and complimentary tea & coffee. Also, there could be hidden charges like taxes and fees that will surprise you when you stay at the hotel. Actually, it is not hidden; it is just that you didn’t notice it. All the time, it is mentioned somewhere on the website you booked from. For instance, a hotel with 160$ per night is cheaper than a hotel with a price of 140$ plus a 14% tax and a 5% city tax.

 

3. STAY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY CENTER

Choosing the appropriate hotel location is crucial. Also, location is an essential indicator of the final price. While lodging in the city center seems to be the easiest and the favorable option, staying far from the city center can save a fortune. Not only financial benefits but also cultural benefits. As you have a higher chance of mingling with the locals and live a life like their lives. Reaching the city center could be as easy as 20-30 minutes walking or 10 minutes bus ride. You have to outweigh the distance to the city center and the money that you will save.

 

4. DO YOU NEED HOTEL BREAKFAST?

What is the point of missing the traditional and local breakfast? Let’s eat like a local. Unless you are on a business trip, and you are busy with early morning meetings or lectures, the hotel breakfast is useless. Especially if it charges extra fees. Always search google maps for the nearby cafe where you can have a pretty good breakfast for less cost. Also, you can’t be sure of the quality of the breakfast. Please book a room without breakfast or any extra meals, and then you can add the meal later.

 

 

5. BE FLEXIBLE

If you’re flexible, consider starting your trip in mid-week rather than on Friday/Saturday night. If you travel in mid-week and leave mid-week, you will get a better price. Not only in the hotel stay but also international and domestic flights. this is one of my best hotel price hacks.

 

6. TRACK THE PRICE

Hotel prices do change. Even if you booked your hotel, the price could drop. So, it is wise to sign up for updates about hotel prices, and you can get lucky later. If you have enough time before your trip, why not track the price?

 

7. CHECK-IN AS LATE AS POSSIBLE

Check-in late in the day, if possible. You may be lucky and get upgraded if you ask for an upgrade. Some rooms may be available due to the canceled bookings. Just try your luck.

 

8. THIRD-PARTY

Many travel websites and blogs offer you affiliate links to famous booking sites like Booking.com or Airbnb. You may wonder what makes you follow my affiliate link? Why you have to use my affiliate links and not go through the website directly? One of the reasons is the cookies. When you log in through an affiliate link, you are using different cookies, so you have a better chance to get a valuable catch.

 

 

Have you ever regretted that you missed the chance of one hotel when it was cheaper and available? And now it is either expensive or not available. Then try again with affiliate links, and it will surprise you.

So, these affiliate links are like a backdoor to a lower rate booking. Another reason, it is a way of appreciation for the blog and the bloggers. If you like what you read and what you see in my blog, you can help me to grow and continue by using affiliate links. It is like a free donation. It could pay off for you, and you get a special price for a fantastic hotel. If you didn’t get a lower rate, it is not harmful. Because sometimes the website offers a better deal through the affiliate links. You don’t know how where or when you will catch the big fish.

 

 

9. REFER YOUR FRIENDS

Sharing is caring. Refer to your friends, and they got a special price. Eventually, I got a load in my wallet for future travels. Here is a link to Booking.com. You will get a 10% discount, and I earn 10$ in my wallet. You can share it with your friends too. Also, here you can get a 25$ discount on your next stay with Airbnb. It worth

 

10. DOSH APP

Try to link your travel rewards credit card to the dosh app. This hack is for USA residents only. Get points on anything you buy, such as groceries, restaurants, clothes, and techs. Here is a good explanation of how it works.

 

11. BUNDLE IT

Do you know the story we used to tell our kids when the father gives his son a bundle of sticks, and he failed to break it? Because gathering is more powerful, right? But here, bundling is easier to break. Flights are expensive, and so is the hotel booking. Combine them, and you will save a fortune. The rule is simple 2+2=3. Now, what do you think the sum of 2+2+2? It is not 6 nor 5. In fact, 2+2+2=4. Wonder how? Try to combine flight + hotel + car rental, and the amount you pay is certainly less.

 

12. EMAIL OR CALL THE HOTEL

This is my favorite hotel booking hack. After you checked the price on the hotel booking websites. It is advisable to check the hotel website and then to call or email them to get information about the price. You may be lucky and get a lower price. Sometimes the hotel offers a lower price than the price on the other searching networks.

 

13. THE STARS VS. THE REVIEWS

When it comes to the hotels, everything is in the reviews. Simply, reviews give an idea of what to expect in your stay. Booking.com gives a score based on the reviews. And it is categorized according to several bases like cleanness, facility, and comfort.

Do you believe that the stars can tell your future? Well, I am pretty sure that you know that stars could lie. Eventually, when you book a hotel, stars could lie also. With all respect but a three stars hotel in Europe is not like three stars hotel in Africa. Even four stars hotels in the same country are not the same. Don’t judge a hotel with the stars only. Consider hotel profile, reviews from more than one source, and pictures too. The bottom line, don’t fixate on the stars focus on the customer reviews.

 

14. BOOKING SEARCH ENGINES

Best hotel price hacks depend mainly on the hotel search engine. Booking.com is my favorite hotel booking website. Booking.com has a wide variety of hotels, resorts, hostels, and apartments. And for all budgets. Booking.com would allow free cancellation if you changed your mind.

Other hotel booking websites include Agoda, which is especially useful in Asia. Hotels.com offers the 10th hotel night entirely for free. Hotelscombined is my favorite for comparing hotel prices.

Airbnb gives the best experience in mingling with locals. But the major withdraw is that it is not reliable as the booking could be canceled at the last minute. So, read the reviews very well.

 

15. MEMBERSHIP OF A HOTEL CHAIN

This section is for luxurious travelers. Just in case you appreciate top-notch lodgings, I prescribe joining ‘hotel loyalty programs.’ especially if you are favoring a particular hotel chain. Most of the time, joining loyalty programs are free. Once in a while, expenses may apply.

The advantages of being a “member of a hotel chain” are variable. Benefits include the priority for an upgrade and free breakfast. In case the desk clerk did not notice that your membership or if you forget to book using your loyalty card, so don’t be bashful in referencing it while checking in. You may get upgraded. I strongly suggest being a member of several hotel loyalty programs. In such a case, you have various chances to discover a cheaper inn and upgrading.

 

16. CREDIT CARD FROM A HOTEL CHAIN

This tip isn’t for all countries, consider getting a credit card from your most loved hotel network. Hotel credit cards get immediate points for your necessary supplies such as groceries, clothes, flights, and many other different buys. As you are planning for the next trip, utilize your credit card for a while to guarantee that you may find the cheapest hotel deals or even, check-in for free. Please notice that your point sums (frequently) at the month beginning. So, purchasing something close to your trip date won’t be counted.

 

17. BOOK MANY FREE CANCELATION HOTELS

One of my best hotel price hacks. In case you don’t know where to stay or you are not sure about your trip date, you can book several free cancelation hotels like 4 or 5 hotels in different areas and different property types. Don’t forget to cancel it if you are not using it.

 

18. A SPY ON YOUR COMPUTER

I strongly advise you to search hotel from another account or better another device. There is a spy on your device. Cookies are spying on you. For example, every time you search for a hotel in Paris, cookies tell the booking website that you are interested in a hotel in Paris. Eventually, when you search again for a hotel in Paris, cookies still remember you, so the price change, and it is surprisingly higher. That’s why I recommend when you search for a hotel, log in from another account, or better another device. When you set up your mind, log in from your favorite device. Also, this is true when you are booking a flight.

 

19. AVOID EXTRA SERVICES

Don’t order an extra meal or service. Just make sure it is available. When you are there, order it if you like it. Extras are not only meals but also parking, Wi-Fi, and laundry service. Maybe you would like to try other restaurants in the area. You can order it later when you arrive there. Definitely, it will cost more than outside the hotel.

 

20. CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR UPDATES

Always check your email for updates. You have to if you are looking to find the cheapest hotel deals. I lost money because I didn’t check the email after I check-in. In one of the hotels in Russia, the receptionist was speaking poor English, and I assume that she didn’t understand what I said. When I check-in, she didn’t note that I made my booking through booking .com. So, she issued the booking as a new cash booking. Later, Booking.com sent me an email asking me if I check-in in the hotel, and unfortunately, I was busy on my trip, and I didn’t notice the email. So, Booking.com considered that I did not show up at the hotel. Booking.com charged my visa card again. So, I paid twice. I learned a lesson in a hard way.

 

21. HIRE ME FOR FREE

Don’t know how to start? Hire me for free and this is the best hotel price hack ever

 

In the end, although searching for the cheapest hotel deals is exhausting, it could save some cash. In my opinion, the best hotel price hacks are flexibility and affiliate links. Just follow these hacks, and the best price is guaranteed. If you have any other hacks, please share it with us, and if any of these hacks were useful, please let me know.