Hotels 101: Get the Best Deal on Your Hotel Room

Don't just book a hotel through a general-purpose travel booking site, like Expedia.com. With a little bit of extra effort, you can almost always uncover a better rate elsewhere, saving money on all your hotel reservations.

Once you’ve ready to move beyond our basic advice below, make sure to check our Lua error in Module:Link at line 366: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. It includes additional strategies that require a bit more time and effort, and adds some additional nuances to the basic advice below. TravelStrategies:*Booking Hotels Old/Box

Jump to

Finding the best rate
Other tips for saving money
Getting extra benefits
Maximizing rewards
Non-refundable rates

TravelStrategies:*Booking Hotels Old/TOC

Even though "standard" rates are the same on every travel site, it is still easy to get a better deal on your hotel room. The trick is to find and take advantage of many different types of “non-standard” rates. These special rates are contractually allowed to be less expensive than the normal "best available rate" that is available on typical booking websites.

Never book a room without checking the prevailing rates on an "hotel aggregator" first—we like Kayak best. Not every deal you see, even on the best hotel websites, is really a “deal”. Before you actually book your room, you need to check the normal hotel rates, so that you can be sure you really are getting a lower price.

The best way to get a sense of your different hotel options, ensure that you never pay more than the going rate for any specific hotel, and possibly uncover rates that are lower than they should be, is to search on a “Hotel Aggregator” website. Aggregators compare hotel prices from many different travel booking websites with a single search.

Of the different aggregator sites, we like Kayak.com best. Unlike other aggregators, they provide the side benefit of being a decent source of private deals (which are permitted to undercut the hotel’s normal best available rates). Just be a careful when looking at the rates shown on their website and apps. The main price above the “View Deal” button on Kayak is not necessarily the lowest available price they’ve uncovered—you need to scan through the smaller price listings on the left, instead.

Join AAA to get discounts on a broad range of hotels. You’ll be eligible for a discount of around 10% at many hotels in the United States and Canada; and/or access to a refundable reservation for around the same price as a normal non-cancellable rate. AAA discounts are available at every type of hotel—downtown chain hotels, seaside inns, large resorts, small boutiques, and independent roadside motels. Consider Joining AAA for Hotel Discounts at Many Hotels.

You can also get good deals by becoming a member of AARP (the American Association of Retired People). Surprisingly, anyone can join, and the membership fee is only $15/year. While AAA offers discounts on a considerably larger number of hotels, the AARP rates are occasionally lower, so it can make sense to get both memberships.

Always check the rates on the hotel’s own website—that's where you'll usually find the best deal. Once you’ve narrowed down the list of places that you might want to stay, make sure to check each hotel’s website directly. Lua error in Module:Link at line 366: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..

At chain hotels, you’ll find special “member rates” that are lower than the rates available on 3^rd party travel websites.

For all hotels, the hotel website is often the only place that provides access to AAA, senior, corporate, military, and other discounted rates. More than likely, the hotel’s website also includes some additional promotions or packages, which can sometimes be a better deal than the “best available” rate. You might be able to get a free night or a discounted rate, on a multi-night reservation; a well-priced package that includes parking, breakfast, or other benefits; a discount on an extra room for the kids; or a special promotional rate.

You can sometimes find lower prices through “private deal” websites. If a website doesn’t show prices to non-signed-in users, it doesn’t have to stick to the official rates. Several “membership only” websites provide access to lower-than-normal prices (at some of the hotels at a destination). For most of these sites, all that “membership only” means is that you’ve filled in a registration form, and are signed-in to the site—there are no fees or special requirements to join. A few general-purpose booking sites, like Kayak.com and Booking.com, also occasionally offer “private deals”, when you are signed-in to their websites or apps.

At private deal websites, you can find rates that are sometimes 20%, 30%, or 40% lower than the prevailing rate. Each site has its own set of deals, so it can be worthwhile searching multiple sites. Find Lower Room Rates on 'Private Deal' Websites

goSeek.com. goSeek is probably the best of the private deals websites. It acts like an aggregator, searching several other services.

kayak.com. If you are signed in, a single hotel search shows you the best available rates on many different travel websites (for every hotel), along with private deals on a decent collection of selected hotels.
Hotel Storm. HotelStorm is our other "go to" private deals website. They only provide their service through a number of partners, so you'll need to choose a partner website to use to access their special prices. For more details see the more detailed private deals guide.

Other tips for saving money on hotels

If you have some flexibility, you can often save far more money on your hotel room, than you can simply by finding the best available rate for a stay at a specific hotel.

If you are willing to give up some flexibility, it can be easy to get an additional 30-60% discount using Hotwire (and other “opaque” hotel sites). On Hotwire, you’ll see prices for unnamed hotels that are often far below the normal rates. If you don’t feel a strong need to stay in a specific hotel, we find that Hotwire is usually the easiest way to get a great hotel rate.

On many trips, we feel that not booking via Hotwire just translates into paying too much for our hotels (even when you factor in the fact you won't receive loyalty points). We'll book some regular fully-refundable reservations ahead-of-time, and then switch over to Hotwire reservations when it gets close to our trip dates.

It may seem risky to book a room without knowing exactly what hotel you’ll get. However, it isn’t that bad. Before you book, you’ll have access to most of the critical information you need: the neighborhood where the hotel is located, its “star” rating, its Trip Advisor rating, Hotwire’s own user ratings, the size of the beds in the rooms, and whether the hotel has the key amenities you need. And, with just a little bit of extra effort, you can usually figure exactly the hotel you would be getting. The chief risk is that the reservation is completely non-flexible, should your plans change. Get a Great Hotel Rate with Hotwire (and Other 'Opaque' Booking Tools).

Try to travel during off-peak times. Hotel rates vary dramatically over the course of the year. Rates during the peak holiday seasons might be double or triple the rates at other times of the year. A place that is expensive during high season, might be very affordable during the shoulder season. Some resorts can be dirt cheap during the off season. You might not have much control over when you can travel, or you might have no desire to visit a destination when the weather isn’t at its best. But if you do, you can shave a significant amount off your hotel expenses.

Particularly in resort destinations, you might get a better hotel rate as part of a travel package. Hotels often let their rooms be sold at cheaper prices when they are part of a package. Sometimes, you can add as little as a single car rental day, to qualify for a package rate. This is especially true for hotels in beach vacation destinations, and for extremely expensive hotels in other locations.
Consider staying in a hotel on the outskirts of town, or near the airport. The surest way to save money on your hotel room is to choose a hotel in a less expensive location. Particularly if you are travelling around by car, it only adds a few extra minutes of travel time to stay on the periphery of your destination. You are likely to find much lower rates, and save money on parking as well. Within a larger city, you can often find a location that is conveniently near a subway stop, and will let you experience a less-touristy neighborhood. Of course, there are plenty of times where you want a hotel located in the thick-of-things, or need to be in a particular location, and won’t be able to take advantage of cheaper hotels elsewhere.

Getting extra benefits with your stay

Smart travel is not just about getting the best possible rate, it is also about getting extra travel benefits (which are typically only available to frequent travelers).

Never book a hotel without joining its loyalty program first. You’ll get access to special member rates that are lower than those available on 3^rd party travel websites; as well as receiving extra benefits, like free Wi-Fi, during your stay. It won’t take much effort to join, doesn’t cost anything, and will save you time with every future reservation. Get Extra Benefits and Cheaper Rates Just by Signing Up for Hotel Loyalty Programs.

A free tool called AwardWallet can keep track your membership number, username, and password, to take the hassle out of joining many different programs. Don’t worry if you don’t expect to stay often enough to earn free nights—you are joining for the discounted rates and extra benefits, not necessarily for the rewards. Use AwardWallet to Easily Manage Your Loyalty Program Information.

You don't need to stay at a hotel chain to achieve elite status (which entitles you to even better benefits). Elite hotel status is targeted towards people who spend a lot of nights every year at a hotel chain, typically people who travel for work. However, you can usually achieve elite status, and get access to enhanced benefits, without needing to make a lot of stays.

Anyone who has the hotel's co-branded credit card will almost always receives some level of elite status. For example, anyone who has the Hyatt credit card gets automatic "Discoverist" status. Lua error in Module:Link at line 366: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..

It is also possible to get your status from one hotel company, even status you received from a credit card, matched at a different hotel company. Boost Your Hotel Status.

If you frequently stay at Hilton hotels, you can get free breakfast on every stay, just by getting a credit card that gives you automatic Hilton Gold status. You could get the Hilton Ascend card, Hilton Aspire card, or Hilton Business card. Another option is the Amex Platinum card, which gives you Hilton Gold status, as well a bunch of other benefits, but has a much higher annual fee. Get Free Breakfast or Club Floor Access with the Right Credit Card.

Hilton Credit Card Guide

If you don't book directly with the hotel company, you won't earn loyalty points, and you may not get your extra benefits. When you book through a 3^rd party website, like hotels.com or a private deals site, you can't take advantage of the hotel's loyalty program. You won't receive any points or credit towards higher level status. At most hotels you also aren't technically eligible for any of the loyalty program's benefits, like free Wi-Fi or room upgrades. However, at some of these hotels, you'll still receive at least some of the benefits that you would normally be entitled to—just don't count on it.

Try to book directly, unless you can get a much better deal elsewhere. In most cases, you’ll find the best rates on the hotel’s own website anyway.

If you are booking a higher-end hotel, your best option can be to book through a luxury hotel program. You may not get a better room rate, but you’ll receive a set of very valuable perks, like free breakfast, a free $100 hotel credit, late checkout, and nearly guranteed room upgrades. We would never book a fancy hotel before seeing whether we can take advantage of these substantial extra benefits.

Several different luxury hotel programs are operated by credit card companies, and are available to anyone who has one of their cards. Chances are, that you have (or will soon have) access to multiple of these programs.

In addition, each of the high-end hotel chains has their own program, which they make available via luxury travel agencies. Even in today’s internet era, when it comes to luxury hotels, you can get a better deal by working with a travel agent, rather what you can get yourself online. Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.

Maximize the rewards from your stays

Once you've found the best rates, and optimized your extra benefits, you should make sure to earn as many extra reward points from your hotel stays as you can.

If you can’t find a better rate, book at Hotels.com to take advantage of their generous loyalty program. You’ll get the equivalent of 10% back with Hotels.com’s “Stay 10 Nights and Earn 1 Free Night” loyalty program. In most cases, you’ll do better by booking directly with the hotel, booking through Hotwire, or taking advantage of a “private deal”. But, if you can’t take advantage of a better rate elsewhere, book at Hotels.com. Guide to Travel Booking Site Reward Programs.

Book with a credit card that earns a good reward rate on travel or hotel reservations. You can get back as much as 6% in credit card reward points from a card that has great bonus rates on travel purchases. Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.

At chain hotels, you'll also earn points in the hotel's loyalty program. And if you've qualified for elite status, from hotel stays, credit cards, or status matching, you'll earn extra points for each dollar you spend.

Save more with non-refundable rates (if you dare)

Not long ago, the typical rates you saw listed for hotels were always “refundable rates”. You could change or cancel your reservation up until a deadline that was close to check-in time. Nowadays, more hotels and websites are displaying non-refundable rates, either as a lower cost option, or as the only option for booking the hotel. Make sure to always check the cancellation policies when comparing rates.

It is always nice to be able to take advantage of a lower rate. But, if you book a non-refundable reservation, and your plans change, you are screwed. Sometimes, there is some flexibility for changing dates—you should always call and ask. But, many times you can’t change your dates, and you can never just cancel the reservation outright. You also don’t get the opportunity to take advantage of a cheaper rate (at the same hotel or at an alternative), that you might discover later.
One reasonable approach, is to start out booking a more expensive flexible rate. Then, when it is much closer to your departure date, and more certain that you won’t need to make any changes, switch your reservation to a lower non-refundable rate.
Trip cancellation insurance may seem like a possible solution. But be wary. Most policies won’t cover the cost of a cancellation unless you, or someone you need to take care of, is very sick, and you have the paperwork to prove it. You’re not covered if your plans change, recent events make you uncomfortable to go to your destination, you can’t take off from work, or you just want to switch hotels.
Hotels will often let you MODIFY a non-refundable reservation. While you rarely can convince the hotel to provide a refund for a cancellation, it is often possible to re-book the reservation for a different date, or even with a different location (in the same hotel program). For example, Hilton will let you modify non-refundable reservations for North American hotels for a $25-50 fee.

TravelStrategies:*Booking Hotels Old/Main

Lua error in Module:Link at line 366: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).