8 Easy Ways To Cut Your Next Hotel Bill
I don’t know who first coined the phrase “never accept the first offer”, but...
...ever since we humans started making offers with each other — like when the first caveman discovered the art of salesmanship and convinced another caveman to buy his old cave for a slab of mastadon meat * — the more savvy among us have never accepted the first offer on anything. And this goes for booking hotel rooms today.
I’ve learnt 8 ways that you can get a better deal on the list price…
*By the way, I have no idea at which point during our evolutionary history we developed a barter economy, but I'm guessing it was around our “Caveman Period” as I like to unscientifically call it, hence the picture of Fred Flintstone (see, everything makes sense in the end!).
1. Check what is and isn’t included in your room rate
If during your stay you need anything other than just a bed for the night, check to see if it comes included in your room rate. This can include things like parking, using a safety deposit box and getting Internet access.
2. Try making an online bid
You can now find websites where you can bid for how much you want to pay for a certain level of hotel in a certain area. Some people have saved up to 30% off the list price using this method. To get the real bargains you should look for a hotel in an area next to where you want to be, as it will often have far less demand and be much cheaper, but still be within distance of where you want to be.
3. Try an expensive business hotel, at the weekend
Go for a weekday rate in a high-end business hotel and you will pay a ton, this is a world of expense accounts and the hotels know people will pay what they charge. However, come Friday night and the business trade dies. Rather than have empty rooms many hotels will dramatically drop their prices, meaning you have a bit of luxury on a budget for a few days.
4. Try your negotiating skills
Don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal before you book, especially in the lower season as often it is better to have lower paying guests than no guests at all. If you have a bad experience during your hotel stay, or feel you have been over charged, don’t be afraid to speak out. Many hotels will cut or waive the bill for the sake of their reputation.
5. If the hotel has its own website, check that first
It is normally always cheaper to deal direct and cut out all the middlemen. This can certainly be the case with hotels, as very often the price that a search engine will quote you will have extra charges to cover their costs. In some cases, a company will buy all the available rooms in a hotel, and then remarket them themselves with a mark-up!
6. Use frequent flyer discounts if you can
If you are part of a frequent flyer program, you may find that many hotels offer discounts to frequent flyer members. The best thing to do is ask the company that provide them to you.
7. Try and go at low season
Obviously somewhere is going to be cheaper during the depths of the low season, and for good reason as many places shut down. However, if you are booking near the start or the end of the high season, by just changing your dates by a week or so either side you can book at low season rates, but get more of the high season experience.
8. Book your room at unsociable hours
Today’s online booking technology is very sophisticated, so a website can change its advertised rates based on the demand that they are getting. Therefore, if you book at times when not many people are booking, such as in the early hours of the morning, you may be able to get yourself a bit of a discount.
Here are some hotel websites you can use to start your bargin hunting...
www.easyclicktravel.com
www.lastminutetravel.com
www.orbitz.com
Got a travel issue you want advice on?
Email it to me know at michael@mobalphone.com
Email it to me know at michael@mobalphone.com
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