If you read my post on how to save the most when purchasing my flights, I’m sorry to tell you that I don’t have an embarrassing story to share with you on this one. However, you will definitely find some similarities in the tips I have to provide you. Like most travel purchases, how much you save will come down a few factors:
- ALWAYS do your Research.
As a mentioned before, you will find that many of the tips I had for purchasing flights will also apply to hotels in their own way. For example, the use of third party websites.
As someone who grew up with parents that owned a Bed and Breakfast in Key West, I can confirm that third party websites charge hotels for advertisements and publicity on their pages. In what world do they advertise for free? It’s pretty obvious when you think about it, the money that got that hotel or B&B the publicity that made you choose it has to be indebted to someone, and that person is probably you.
Just like the flight purchasing situations, I made a point to research until I found a significant example in price difference when buying directly from the source. I found this example on Lifehack.org. Hotel surcharges included, the cheapest price ($248.00) came from purchasing a room from the hotel website.
Here’s another one I researched myself (I wanted to triple check the validity), while the price difference isn’t as significant, it’s definitely still a difference.
In addition to getting a potentially (but never guaranteed) cheaper price, there are more benefits to buying directly from the hotel. For example, third party websites have a tendency to only showcase certain available rooms that you could be getting a deal on because they weren’t paid to advertise them. If you call the hotel and speak directly to staff, you even may be able to haggle yourself a deal. With the elimination of the middle man to make the connection, it can be mutually beneficial for both you and the hotel.
2. Consider all potential deals before purchasing
However, just like I said about flights, that is just one perspective to consider and it can never guarantee a better price. Third party websites can still be deemed very useful, especially when it comes to choosing the right hotel to stay at. The filtering options are great to narrow down what you can afford with your budget, and if you are a member, you may have points saved up to save you more money.
Another potential pro to using third party websites is bundle package deals that will save you money if you choose to book flight and transportation with that site as well. With all this being said, I’ll repeat the most important tip to consider no matter where you book, DO YOUR RESEARCH, hotel prices are just as transparent as flights, you will learn this pattern is common among anything to do with travel.
3. Consider the timeliness of your stay
Timeliness is important when you consider location, seasons, and the general target audience that would be staying at your hotel of choice. Business affiliated hotels with conference rooms will be busier during the week, thus more expensive. Romantic or adventurous getaways on the outskirts of town will probably raise in prices on the weekends. Always google whether or not there is a large event happening in the area you want to stay in, this will raise nightly rates without a doubt. These are the types of things you must take into consideration if you want to save yourself a buck.
4. Lastly, be aware of properly utilizing your present barriers:
An extremely large nuisance you’ll experience when booking hotels is realizing you could have gotten the hotel for a cheaper rate. But there is a way to fix this after the damage has been done. Download the Pruvo app, and so long as your stay is refundable, the app will alert you as soon as prices drop and give you the option to purchase for a cheaper price through its services.
I carefully worded present day barriers because I wanted to clarify that these tips aren’t traditional, because they wouldn’t be possible without the creation of apps. Next to the Pruvo app, there are apps to help you save if you’re booking last minute, such as Hotel Tonight.
Can’t make it to your non-refundable hotel stay? Our modern day entrepreneurs have created something to help you with that too. Although it isn’t likely you’ll get the full price you paid back, you still get a decent amount of it back by re-selling your room on these websites:
So there you have it, the inside scoop on the many ways you can save yourself a pretty penny when purchasing hotels. I hope the tips in this blog post were as informative for you as they were for me when I first learned about them. With our ever changing world, I will continue to update you all as the times transcend. Until then, keep these tips close!
