Travelling can be expensive, but if you’re looking for the best hotel deals, it’s worth it to put in a little bit more effort. If you’re looking for the best prices, you need to know where to look. Booking sites like Expedia, Hotels.com, and Agoda can help you to compare the best deals. This guide will advise you on how to get hotel discounts and get the best price.
The secret to getting the best hotel deals is knowing which websites to use. There are many different sites that offer discounted rates for hotels, but not all of them are legitimate. There are a few sites that have been around for a while and have proven themselves to be reliable sources for discounted rates.
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How to Get the Best Rate on Travel Sites Such Booking.com
Booking.com is one of the most popular travel sites in the world and it has been around for more than 20 years. The site offers a variety of hotels, hostels, apartments, and other accommodations to suit different needs and budgets.
The company has evolved from being just a booking site to now being a global travel platform that connects travellers with hotels and other accommodations around the world. As such, it is an ideal place for travellers to find their next holiday destination.
In this article, we will take a look at how to get hotel discounts by following a few simple steps.
I use Booking.com often, but I spend a significant amount of time researching which site to book hotels on. It’s a great search engine because it allows you to apply filters- this helps limit the choices and find what you want quicker.
Furthermore, check out the Genius membership program – it allows you to get 10% off throughout the year, as well as a price guarantee! But make sure to also sign up for the hotel’s newsletter for even lower prices.
Booking Conditions and What you Should Know
One of the frequent mistakes when booking a hotel is to forget to check booking conditions. When booking your next stay, it’s important to carefully read the terms and conditions for it. If you feel uncomfortable about any clauses, don’t hesitate to contact customer service before proceeding.
Some of the most common things that people forget to check are cancellation policies
- Fully refundable – make a note of the date when your stay is fully refundable until
- Partially refundable – usually the hotel charges you for the first night
- Non-refundable – no money will be refunded
- Free cancellation – 24 hour, 72 hours, 1 week etc
- Prepayment/ deposit – you have to prepay some money to secure the room
The most common mistakes when booking a hotel is the wrong room type (cheapest option = basic room) and not checking cancellation terms and conditions (again cheapest room = not refundable, often without breakfast).
To avoid any potential issues, always make sure to have a confirmation slip or receipt when booking through a third party. Then, if there are any problems such as an overbooked property or poor communication, you’ll be able to hold them accountable for the payment.
Booking.com also has a very convenient cancellation option that you can use up to the day before your arrival date – and the earlier you cancel, the better deals you get.
Tips for Picking & Booking Your Ideal Hotel Deal
When researching accommodation it may be overwhelming at first glance because there are so many options. As such, we recommend that you use filters to avoid becoming overwhelmed and find a way to get hotel discounts!
- Good overall customer rating (I usually put at least 4* or 80%)
- The type of accommodation you want to stay (B&B, castle hotels, self-catering
- Determine the location – any specific landmark you want to be close to or a town or village
- Proximity to public transportation when needed
- Comments about the Wi-Fi
- Do you need breakfast?
- Price range
- Booking and cancellation terms and conditions
How to Get Hotel Discounts when Making a Hotel Reservation
Did you know that some travellers don’t save money by booking their hotels at the last minute? Next time you’re looking to book a hotel, keep this in mind and see if there are any deals nearby.
Not sure how to get hotel discounts?
There are a few steps that you must follow in order to find the best hotel deal. Get price alerts on hotels – this can be handy if you’re set on a particular hotel/date set and want to know if rates change.
The first step in the process of how to get hotel discounts is to search for availability and special offers at different booking sites.
Check out Booking.com’s landing page and enter your destination name and dates to get started! As you can see on the left-hand side of the page, there is a percentage showing how available the accommodation is. This is a sign of how popular it is.
How to Find the Best Hotel Deals
Compare rates for the same room on multiple booking platforms like Expedia, Agoda, Trivago, and Hotels Combined. Keep in mind the restrictions imposed by each platform (like non-refundable).
We are often asked, “which rate is the best”. The “best” rate depends on what you’re looking for. The “Best Available Rate” is the most common one and often costs less, but it means you have arguably fewer options or benefits.
The “Advanced Purchase Rate” offers more, but it’s a prepay and non-refundable kind of deal
Search your hotel options and find the one that fits your budget. Check reviews to measure quality so you can be sure.
Some hotels may charge for parking, breakfast or internet access, so be aware of those when looking at pricing.
What are Some Other Ways to Find Discounted Rates for Hotels?
Hotels often offer deals better than central reservations. If you’re good with talking to people, try to find the name of the person in charge of in-house reservations and book directly there. Going personal is always a good approach.
In house reservations would know their in-stock inventories best, so you will probably be able to negotiate better prices with them.
Tip: Signing up for a loyalty program can give you valuable discounts, promotional codes and other perks. And there’s a good chance they’ll upgrade you to a preferred status too.
Room rates are very dynamic and depend on demand, so the rate is available only on a specific day or a few days more.
If you make a booking more than a month in advance, I would always double-check the rates and repeat the process ahead of time to get hotel discounts and secure your reservation. And see if the hotel runs any promotions, and you can lower the rate.
If there is no in-house reservation, you can try to negotiate the rate with the central reservations team. First, ask for a price match if you found a cheaper rate somewhere else.
They definitely have less power to lower the rate and will always try to upsell the room. Sometimes, when you ask for the “friends and family rate”, it works. Usually, central reservations do not check if you really know someone.
Click here to find out more on how not to make mistakes when booking a hotel room.
