Being a larger than average family we tend to rent out villas or houses when travelling together as a group, due not only to the amount of space we need but also because these trips tend to run for a month or two at a time. As a result, having a home from home complete with cooking and laundry facilities and a place to essentially call our own whilst we are away is a must.
However, when we travel with one or two of the children for a city break, a trip that is usually gifted as a Christmas or birthday present, we tend to opt for hotels. As these trips are usually only two or three days long and made with children that are 7 or over, we are more flexible in what we need in terms of convenience. Really speaking, all we really need is a bed and a bathroom, so a hotel is the perfect accommodation for these trips.
We don’t believe in spending money where we don’t need to – we would rather save a little where we are able in order to have more disposable income to spend on an experience during our trip or to put towards the next set of travels, wherever they may be. We’ve discovered some simple ways of saving money on hotels that have bode us very well indeed.
How to find the best price on hotel rooms:
Be flexible
If possible, be as flexible as you can in where you want to go and when. We are incredibly fortunate that, as the children are home educated and as we also work from home (or, to put it more accurately, from wherever in the world we are at the time) our only restrictions are often the dates unavailable due to us already travelling. By offering flexibility in your travel plans you can take advantage of any slow seasons or periods that affect hotel availability.
Use price comparison sites
Use price comparison sites to find the best rates on hotel rooms. Keep a note of dates and what is included but do make sure you use a few different sites as results can differ. Once you’ve found a deal… wait!
Go direct
Once you have a hotel you are considering find its website and visit it directly. See what deals are available direct and how much it comes to compared to booking through the comparison site. You may now have a few different prices and options for the same hotel but you aren’t quite done yet…
Check once more
To ensure you get the very best price you can go to accommodation booking sites via a voucher site. This offers the benefit of not only getting additional discounts by utilising the latest discount codes or vouchers available automatically, but also from the booking site’s own offers too. For example, Hotels.com not only claims to have the lowest rates and charges no reservation feels but it also has a price match guarantee. If you’ve found the same deal using the previous two steps above, let them know and they will match it. They also offer special member deals if you sign up via email so if you travel regularly or plan to, it’s worth keeping up with the latest moneysaving offers this way too.
Things to remember:
There are a few things to bear in mind when booking your hotel room that are easy to overlook:
What do you get for your money?
Is breakfast included or will you have to pay extra? Are towels and toiletries included? How often is room service?
Do you really need it all?
Do you really need room service, a mini bar or a coffee machine in your room or can you save anything by downgrading if not?
Check for hidden costs
Are taxes or any other costs included in the small print which may bump up the final price at all? Check and double check the final figure before booking.
What are your top tips when booking a hotel? Leave a comment and share them with us!
We’ve started to look at hotels within interconnecting rooms as next year we won’t all fit into one room. It’s surprising just how much extra it can be.
It might be worth contacting hotels directly in this case. They’ll often be willing to make a deal on two rooms if you ask. It’s always worth asking!
Thanks for these helpful travel tips that will surely help us save more money. I like asking the hotel directly and compare them with other hotels. You can also check and compare the features they offer which of them has a lot to give in a given amount. For me sticking to a simple type of hotels where you can sleep comfortably and safely. Simple and humble hotels can be cheaper than other hotels with lots of amenities you don’t need.
That’s very true. You don’t need to be paying out extra for amenities you won’t be using – great point!
Thank you for the great tips, very helpful!
Thanks for stopping by!
I agree 100% – flexible is the key. And I’ll normally call in and chat to see if I can make a personal connection then get a small discount. I did that once in Ft Wayne, Indiana and got the whole family a breakfast buffet voucher.
That’s a good tip. Often you can get a little extra, whether it’s a discount of a freebie or two thrown in, if you just ask if that’s the best deal they can offer.
Awesome post! Definitely some great tips and advice to saving money on hotel rooms.It’s also great to start a saving account for emergencies or long term goals!I havе you book-marked to loοk at new things you post thanks for sharing this awesome article
mustafiz@resently posted…ways to save money
wow! love this!