We love our weekend getaways and family vacations, but cost can really add up. These tips on How To Save More Money On Hotel Stays are some of our favorites to stretch our budge a bit farther and still get a chance to enjoy our time on the road. It’s easy to save money when you start looking in the right directions for your travel plans.
How To Save More Money On Hotel Stays
Travel during the week instead of weekends. Weekend rates are almost always $10-$20 more per room per night. If at all possible book your hotel for weekdays only. Not only will this save you money at the hotel it can also be cheaper at local attractions. Weekends are prime vacation and travel time, so prices tend to be much higher across the board.
Call the hotel directly. Pick up the phone and call the hotel directly instead of booking online. You’ll be surprised at the savings you can get just by asking for it. Individual hotels often have to pay a fee when you book through an online site. That means that on many occasions, they can make more money giving you a discount directly than if you used what was listed online. Take advantage of this knowledge to ask for a lower rate. Start with a minimum of $15 less than listed price and negotiate from there. $15 a night over a week is $75. That is enough for one theme park day pass.
This also works if you book your hotel last minute (like, I need a place to stay in 15 minutes). If the hotel is not sold out, they are willing to bargain with you to fill their rooms, versus nothing at all.
Sign up for hotel chain rewards programs. If you have a brand of hotels you prefer staying at, check into their rewards programs. Many offer points for each nights stay, but some are great about giving you bonus points for booking during specific calendar days, or even for eating at select restaurants. These add up quickly, especially if you are working on the road.
Book the smaller room. The smaller hotel room usually offers a significant savings. Instead of queen beds, get double beds. A bit more snuggling with your spouse won’t be too much discomfort. If your travels will have you outside your room the bulk of the time anyway, this works perfectly for saving money.
Michigan readers, read how you can find hotel deals in Michigan.
Also, be sure to download travel apps to help you save money on hotels like Groupon and Living Social.
As you head out on vacation or even a work trip this year use these tips for how to save more money on hotel stays. You’ll find your costs going down and your budget increasing.
Thank you for the help. My wife and I are planning a trip in the near future and we have just started trying to find a hotel. I did not realize that it would be cheaper to call directly to the hotel. Will they be more eager to tell us about deals and things like that if we call them personally?
Hey Justin, thanks for finding me.
I’ve seen it both ways. Sometimes it depends on if you’re calling and get the direct hotel or their 800#. I found I received the best deals when I called the Hotel directly (and it was more towards the last minute and they had empty beds).