If you spend time searching for the best hotel deals online, you’re already looking before making a booking. But are you looking in the right places?
With so many hotel search sites claiming to offer you the ‘best rate guaranteed’ it makes you wonder why they’re not all offering the same price for the same room, in the same hotel, on the same date.
Even if they did, you still might not be getting the best hotel deal when you travel.
To be really sure of getting the best hotel deal online, you need to find the hotel that’s right for you.
Location
The first thing to consider is where to stay in your travel destination.
If you’re travelling by train, you might prefer your hotel to be located close to the railway station. There’s little point in making a big deal about saving money on the hotel price when you have to spend extra on taxi fares.
Likewise, if you’re travelling by car, it helps if the hotel offers free parking; or there is at least a convenient place to park your car close to the hotel.
If you’re flying, perhaps consider hotels that offer a free shuttle service from the airport, or hotels that are close to airport bus routes. Airport hotels are probably only of any value if you arrive late at night or have an early flight.
To scout hotel locations, the 1800-Lodging.com hotel guide lets you zoom and pan around an interactive map. Once you have a better idea of the area you’d like to stay in your destination, you can mouse over the pins for a thumbnail image and average price range of past bookings.
The hotel guide helps you think about where you might want to stay but you’ll still need to use an Hotel Comparison Tool to instantly compare hotel details, rates, availability and taxes from such websites as Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity (and many more) all in one set of search results.
Special Offers
It may also pay to take a look at the official hotel website to see if they’re offering any special offers.
Mercure, for example, offer a Two for One Tandem (in France) – where you can stay in a double room for the price of a single and one breakfast is offered free of charge; if one of the two guests is 55 or older.
Think about your existing hotel loyalty points, or joining a hotel loyalty program if you intend to use a particular hotel chain more than a few times on your travels.
Social Media
Another place to look before you book is social media; especially Facebook Fan Pages and Hotel Travel Tweeps on Twitter.
Many hotels are now connecting with their customers – be they fans or followers – through social media and often offer discount codes and special deals to repay their loyalty; hopefully encouraging the hotel guests to follow up with positive reviews and in turn help spread the word to their friends and followers about where they liked to stay.
Even the booking sites are using social media. If you find Otel.com offer you the best price on a particular hotel, you may even save a further 5% off by using the discount code on their Facebook page.
Added Extras
It also pays to read all the small print. Don’t overlook any of the hotel details. They are there to help you make a wise choice on getting the best hotel deal.
If you travel with a laptop, will you have to pay for Internet access in your hotel room? If the hotel offers free WiFi, they usually like to mention that. If it’s not mentioned, that’s a little extra charge you might not want to incur. They all add up.
Is breakfast included in the room rate? Is there a resort fee? What about if you don’t use the spa facilities? You may even be able to get a discount for not using them if they’re included in the hotel price.
Budget Travel
When we talk about budget travel, we need to remember that every traveller has a different budget. I have stayed in some very nice hotels in South America for $5, and some dives in the United States for ten times that.
If your budget is tight, then 1800-Hostels.com might be worth thinking about. The accommodations listed are not all hostels and not all beds are in dormitories. Cheap single rooms are also offered in many of the ‘budget hotels’.
Don’t Forget
Before you book your next hotel online, just remember where to look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Subscribe to TravelNotes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making a Claymation or stop-motion animation is easier than you think. Whether you dream of…
I'm a dog lover and an owner of several dogs. My pound basically eats store-bought…
Spinal Fusion Surgery can be very stressful, not only on the patient but on their…
Powerbar has been the leading name in energy bars since 1986. Over the past few…
Now that I'm a veteran cruiser with over 10 voyages under my belt, I like…
I have an interesting hobby that is fun and it actually makes me money. It…
This website uses cookies.