Finding the cheapest hotels can often be challenging, but not impossible. However, you also often have to sacrifice quite a lot of things for getting budget accommodation, and the lack of facilities could turn down many customers. Generally speaking, lodging is equally important as finding flights and ground transportation when travelling to your destination, whether it’s a holiday or business trip. So, whether you need to spend a few hours or a couple of days after arriving at your destination city, the first thing you’re going to do is find a suitable lodge.
Every hotel is different from the other and so are their prices. But, if what you are looking for is the cheapest hotel, then you will need to do a few things.
In this travel guide, we will provide you a few tips on how to book hotels for cheap rate in last minute when you need one during your trip.
Tips for Finding the Cheapest Hotel Rooms for Your Trip
Here are are a couple of ways, which could be help you in finding low-priced accommodation when travelling to your desired destination city.
Search Online
Doing an online search in advance to find low-priced hotels can save you a lot of time than visiting each hotel after arriving at your destination city. For instance, you can find deals on accommodation at some of the best OTA sites. At present, there are also a few online travel agencies (OTAs) that do more than just get you flight reservations. Some even let you book flights, hotels and rental cars, by offering a bundled package.
The OTAs basically fetch information of your query from several sources, including other OTAs. This way, you can compare prices and choose the one that suits you best. Bear in mind that a few such sites may require to sign up in order to avail their services. If this doesn’t bother you much, you can sign up with the site and find the hotel room that will fit your budget.
You may check out sites, like Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, Trivago and more.
Compare Prices of Hotel Websites and OTAs’ Sites
Most hotels will have their own websites and the prices will generally depend on the category of rooms and facilities that are available or offered. Common facilities that customers usually look for when searching hotel rooms are Wi-Fi, complimentary meals, and/or transportation.
The prices may vary among hotels in the city. However, you can also do a quick comparison of hotel room prices on several OTA sites. This will also help you in making decisions easily.
An advantage of this is you may find discounts on rates, or the prices are very low. Chances are, you may find better deals on an OTA’s site that what is offered by the hotel.
Avoid Hotels Located in Downtown
The prices of hotels can significantly depend on its location as well. For instance, hotels situated right in the centre of a city may often have higher rates than those that are situated in the outskirts of the city. So, if you are looking for cheap hotel rooms, try to extend your search further away from the city centre. Some hotels located near the airport or in the suburbs are often quite cheap and affordable.
You will find hotels in areas surrounding the city of your destination, which may also have easy connectivity to airports and ground transportation in that region.
Look for an Alternative to Hotels
If you do not want to stay in a hotel or motel and prefer something else, then you can look into alternate hospitality services, such as Airbnb.
Many people use Airbnb to find budget homestays. A great thing about this service is that you can find rental home lodging, which could give you a pleasant experience. Many home-owners offer spaces in their homes for rent on Airbnb, and there are discounts, too. In addition, there are reviews post by past visitors, which can also help you choosing the ideal homestay option.
So, if you need something different, then rented lodging through Airbnb can make your trip worth it. You can either book a homestay on their website or simply book on via their mobile app.
Book your Hotel Reservations in Advance
Early booking of hotel rooms can be quite helpful in getting cheaper deals, even discounts. This will also save you a lot of money.
For example, if you are planning a trip to a city located in a different continent, a few weeks or months of booking in advance can give you good discounts on the rates.
Africa: If you book a hotel room in cities in the African continent at least 5 months in advance, you may get a price drop of up to 20%. Also, if you book two weeks before your trip, you may find some good deals.
Asia: If you book a hotel room in cities in India at least 5 or 7 months in advance, you can save up to 25%. If you book at least two weeks before your trip, you may also be able to find good deals as well.
Caribbean: Booking a hotel room in the Caribbean at least 5 months in advance can save you up to 10%.
Central America: If you book a hotel room in cities of Central America at least 3 months in advance or more, you save up to 10%.
Europe: Booking a hotel room in cities in the European countries at least 4 or 6 months in advance, you can save up to 25% on hotel prices.
Middle East: If you book a hotel room in cities in countries of the Middle East region at least 6 months in advance, you can save up to 25% on your hotel reservations.
Oceania: Booking a hotel room in countries of the Oceania region at least 5 months in advance will save you 20% or more on hotel reservations.
South America: If you book a hotel room in cities in the South American countries at least a few weeks before your trip, you can save up to 20%.
United States of America: Booking a hotel room in cities in the USA at least 2 months in advance, you can save up to 10%.
Try Your Luck on Last-Minute Hotel Deals
Sometimes, you may be fortunate to get last-minute deals on cheap hotel rooms. You can either find last-minute deals on the hotel’s website or check on an OTA’s site. Chances are, you will not be disappointed.
Hotels do tend to reduce their rates and can even go to the extent of offering discounts and other deals to get the attention of customers. You can thus, grab this opportunity, find a decent, if not luxurious, and even save money.
Have a Flexible Travel Plan
This is another important factor that can have a direct influence on the availability of cheap hotel rooms, especially for your travel schedule. But, if you have a flexible travel date, you may have a better chance of finding one easily.
For instance, travelling during a peak season generally involve crowds of people and hotels often see this as an opportunity and increase their prices, despite the availability of facilities. Thus, if you are travelling on a peak season, you may not find cheap accommodation easily.
So, it is crucial that you schedule your trip in a way that even if it needs to be changed, it should not affect you.
Conclusion
We hope that this travel guide will help you find cheap hotel rooms, or better yet, affordable alternatives to hotels, so you can spend your time with positive vibes.
