Do you know how to book a budget-friendly hotel? I can teach you how!
Traveling is one of the best activities people could ever engage in. It’s fun and lovely to know other people’s cultures, see amazing architecture, try the most incredible dishes, and sleep in fabulous hotels. However, travel costs can mount up quickly, regardless of whether you’re heading out of town for a simple weekend getaway or a trip of a lifetime.
That’s why it’s crucial to save money with every chance you get, especially when making hotel reservations (this tends to be the most expensive part of a trip). At the end of the day, there’s no reason why an additional $20 per night should go to the hotel when you could spend it on dining, activities, or that last-minute present you forgot to pack.
I didn’t always have money to travel, and I had to find ways to get cheap flight tickets and book nights at budget-friendly hotels. Since I’ve come a long way, I’ve decided to share all of my tips with you. Everyone deserves to have a fantastic vacation that won’t break the bank. So, if you’re curious about how I’ve managed to find budget-friendly hotels, keep reading!
1. Google can be your bestie
Besides being an excellent resource for today’s world, Google’s search function is also a great tool that gathers hotel discounts, which allows you to compare prices. The first step is to do Google research for your destination, but use Incognito mode.
As you probably know, most aggregator, hotel, and airline sites follow your search patterns with the help of IP addresses and cookies. So, if you check an accommodation or a flight price on a particular website and then return to it after a while, you’re more likely to find a higher price. If you don’t want to use Incognito mode, you can delete all cookies afterward.
But going back to the first step in finding a budget-friendly hotel, Google will aggregate all of the hotel deal websites for you. Even though Booking.com and Hotels.com are excellent options, your initial reaction might be to visit their websites, but Google can initially point you in the right direction, especially if you’re looking for a last-minute deal.
2. Follow your favorite hotel brands on social media
Social media is almost everything nowadays, so if you want to stay at a gorgeous and still budget-friendly hotel, you have to use it to your advantage. When a brand needs to become popular quickly, social media is key, and you should be there to see when they post an offer.
They want to appeal to customers, so they’re more likely to post limited deals or discounted stays, which are perfect for those who want to see the world within their budget. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to be the first to see these posts.
If you’re a fan of big hotel chains, you can follow the brand and their particular locations. However, don’t neglect boutique hotels either, because they’re sometimes more active than their bigger competitors. Since they’re smaller, they can engage more easily with customers and find ways to attract them.
3. What about unconventional housing?
You need to think a bit outside the box to find the perfect budget-friendly hotel for you. This will help you find a beautiful place that’s comfortable and affordable at the same time. Some travel experts recommend checking out something offbeat, such as camping or a cabin. Even though they’re not hotels, they will save you a ton of money, which you can redirect to gifts, museum tickets, shopping sprees, restaurants, attractions, and so many others.
I love searching for campgrounds on Google or simply zooming in on the map to discover some hidden gems. In case camping’s not for you, there’s always Airbnb or Vrbo, but make sure you look at a price that includes all the fees and taxes, not just the per-night price.
4. Subscribe to brands’ email lists
Even though your inbox might already be full, being subscribed to particular email lists can help you save money. We’ve talked about this many times on your websites when we mentioned that you can get more with less if you subscribe to a grocery store’s email list, and that’s exactly what you need to do if you’re looking for a budget-friendly hotel.
Hotel brands will typically send alerts to their subscribers, and they’re worth checking out. I understand that it can be stressful to always receive email notifications, but some hotels will send special offers to their subscribers, and if you want to have a wonderful vacation that won’t break the bank, keep this in mind!
5. Ask for upgrades
Even though this tip won’t guarantee you’ll find a budget-friendly hotel, you can get more bang for your buck with this one. Just a day before your trip or immediately after you arrive, ask the employees for a room upgrade. If they’re not fully booked, they might be more than happy to give you a bigger accommodation for less than just having it sit empty.
Play it safe by booking whatever room fits your needs, and then check if you can get an upgrade that won’t hurt your wallet. While you can’t be certain it will be exactly what you expected, it never hurts to ask.
6. Pay attention to hidden fees
Even though the accommodation can seem like a good deal, hidden costs can soon pile up. To avoid that, make sure to check the hotel website for any costs you might not anticipate. According to experts, some hotels might charge for parking, while others might charge for WiFi. And let’s not forget that cleaning fees for some apartments or vacation rentals might surprise you.
As a travel enthusiast, I’ve studied hotel evaluations to look for those annoying fees that aren’t listed in the description. Reviews from previous unhappy guests who discovered they were required to pay more can be a great tool for someone who’s looking for a budget-friendly hotel.
Moreover, reviewers will typically know about their likes and dislikes, including food, room and bathroom facilities, cleanliness, bed quality, placement, and so many other useful tips for a successful trip.
…The next tip is all about you! If you’re flexible with your dates, you can find a wonderful and still budget-friendly hotel! Keep reading, because it’s a good one!
7. Be flexible
If you’ve ever attempted to reserve a hotel during a famous event, like a big sporting event, concert, or festival, you most likely gave up when you saw the exorbitant hotel costs. I get it; I did it too. However, don’t fret, because there’s something you can do. First of all, if you want to participate in that event and stay at a budget-friendly hotel, just book at least a few weeks to even months in advance.
On the other hand, if the event doesn’t concern you and you’re not required to go on vacation on a specific date, it could be helpful to compare prices over a wider variety of dates. Certain hotel websites have a calendar view that lets you see pricing fluctuations over time and choose a less expensive period to visit.
To reduce the overall cost, experts recommend being flexible with your location, such as choosing a different hotel type or staying outside of the city center to save some money. If you choose something far from downtown, make sure you look up public transportation and walking distance, because these two can also help you save big on your vacation.
Besides that, booking a trip during the off-season or shoulder season is a smart way to get the best rates. When a hotel is fully booked, there’s no need for them to offer deals. But when most of the rooms are empty, they’d rather offer their suites for cheaper than not have any customers at all. So make sure you look these up, because many accommodations lower their prices to attract guests during these lulls.
8. Join loyalty programs
Joining loyalty programs is another fabulous way to help you stay in a budget-friendly hotel. Experts recommend using hotel and travel points from brand loyalty programs or credit cards. Whatever source your points come from, they’re a fantastic way to save money on accommodation.
Some hotels have branded cards, while others offer point-earning schemes at no cost to their guests. Ask a desk agent or go to the hotel website to learn more about the available programs to earn free or discounted nights.
…We have many other tips on how to find a budget-friendly hotel, so keep reading along with us!
9. Book the last minute
I know I’ve previously said that if you want to find a gorgeous yet budget-friendly hotel, you need to book at least a few weeks in advance. While that’s true, you can also try another method, especially for an impromptu vacation: last-minute booking.
Generally speaking, hotels hate when guests cancel a reservation within the cancellation period, which is typically 24-72 hours before the check-in date. That’s because they’re more likely to struggle to resell the room in such a short time.
However, if you book during this cancellation window, especially at the final minute, you might be lucky and get a wonderful deal that the hotel is keen to sell. That or you can snag a discounted room that the staff hasn’t been able to sell for a while.
While this method of booking a budget-friendly hotel can be tricky, the best thing you can do is lay your eggs in different baskets. If you already booked a room, hold on to it for as long as possible, then cancel it during the free cancellation window if you find a better deal.
10. Use apps
This new method of finding a budget-friendly hotel room goes hand in hand with the tip we’ve previously discussed. Nowadays, many hotels partnered with different apps, allowing them to offer their rooms at discounted rates (20-60% off) to people booking on the same day. You’ve read that right: you can get rewarded for waiting until the very last minute to book a room!
Some of the best apps for finding last-minute discounts on rooms are Hotelquickly, Onenight, and Hoteltonight and they’re available on both Android and iOS, so check them out.
11. Book over the phone
Did you know that you have a higher chance of booking a budget-friendly hotel room or negotiating a discount or an upgrade over the phone rather than via email? According to experts, people are more prone to human connection over the phone than when reading an email. That happens, especially when you tell them it’s a special occasion and you’re booking a room for an event, such as a wedding anniversary, honeymoon, birthday, or simply a treat for your significant other.
They might be moved by your narrative and surprise you with a complimentary upgrade or send a special treat to your room, like a bottle of champagne or a fruit basket. If you travel with your family, you can ask them for family discounts, free meals for children, or upgrades. The worst thing they could say is no, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try your luck.
12. Hotel and flight bundle
To save even more money, you can book your flight and hotel room together as a bundle. The bad thing in this scenario is that you don’t have as much flexibility, but if the budget is more important, say no more. You can check out websites such as Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity, and Expedia to find incredible flight and hotel packages.
…Do you have airline miles? Then you’re going to love the next tip! Did anyone say budget-friendly hotel rooms? Keep reading to discover how to get it!
13. Use your airline miles
If you’ve accumulated airline miles through travel, purchases, dining out, or other activities, you don’t always need to use airline miles for a complimentary ticket.
Even though the offer is quite limited, certain airline mile programs allow people to convert airline miles into hotel points for a complimentary night’s stay. The main downside is that you might not always maximize the value of your points when using them to book a budget-friendly hotel room, as hotel points often have a lower value than airline miles.
…Another trick to book a budget-friendly hotel room is to compare prices on a brand’s website and an online travel agency’s (OTA) website. Keep reading to discover more about this method!
14. Compare prices
Hotels will occasionally offer rooms at a lower price on their own websites than they do on travel agencies (OTAs) like Agoda or Booking.com, but they’re frequently forbidden from doing so because of rate parity clauses.
Since hotels don’t have to pay the OTA a 20–30% commission when you book directly with them, they might offer you budget-friendly hotel rooms. Of course, you won’t pay incredibly much for a 20–30% commission on top of the genuine hotel rate when the room price is already extremely low—let’s say less than $10 per night—but in the long run, every dollar matters.
Booking a room via the hotel website might result in significant discounts, especially if the room in question is pricey. In certain situations, we’re talking about more than $75, which is a pretty big deal.
Another reason why you should book your room on a brand’s site is that the options presented on an OTA website can be totally different.
When booking through the OTA, for instance, you can be compelled to select a more costly room arrangement for a family, such as paying for two separate rooms rather than a family room, which could wind up costing you more money.
While it’s not always cheaper to buy tickets directly through the airline’s website, booking directly through the property’s website can frequently result in a lower price than booking through an OTA. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you always look at different websites and compare the prices and facilities.
Did you like reading about these methods to get a budget-friendly room? Let us know in the comments below! Which one of these tips do you think was the most useful? If you plan on going on vacation anytime soon, I hope you’ll have the time of your life! Don’t forget your sunglasses and your suitcase! Until next time, here’s another great article from Frugal Americans to check out: Think Twice Before Buying These 10 Things With Your Credit Card
