6 Ways to Get Cheap Hotel Rooms - NerdWallet (2023)

FAQs

How do you get crazy discount at hotels? ›

“Actually, hotel prices decline the longer you wait,” says Shank, “so if you haven't made plans yet, you can be rewarded for that with a better deal.” Same-day rates on HotelTonight are, on average, 10 percent less than if you book the day before, according to Shank.

15/5 rule: When a guest is within 15 feet their presence should be acknowledged through some means whether a smile or head nod. Similarly, when a guest is within 5 feet they should be greeted in an appropriate manner whether that be a “hello”, “good morning”, or “good evening.”

The 20 Dollar Trick, sometimes called the sandwich trick, is a $20 tip sandwiched in between the necessary ID and credit card required at the hotel front desk check-in. In the past, this was a great way to get a complimentary upgrade.

Essentially all you need to do is divide the total sales price by the number of rooms to arrive at a PPR (Price Per Room) value.

I got the idea from Consumer Reports magazine, which claims its shoppers got the best hotel rates by calling the hotels directly. That's compared to online services that promise discounts or to using hotel websites, even if they have low price guarantees. My friends have tried it, and they say it works, too.

Cheapest Day to Book Hotel Reservations

Most travel agencies agree that the cheapest days to book hotels are Fridays and Saturdays.

Apartment or House Rentals

It Can Save You Money – You can usually find rentals much cheaper than hotels, especially if you are in a large group. Better Amenities – Apartment and house rentals typically have amenities that might not be available to you in a hotel, such as a kitchen or a washer and dryer.

What is the 72 hour rule in hotels? ›

Reservations must be cancelled seventy two (72 hours) hotel time, prior to your arrival date, in order to avoid a one (1) night full room cancellation fee. If reservations are cancelled less than 72 hours before the arrival date, you will may be charged the full room charge plus taxes.

The research shows that the lowest average daily rate (ADR) for domestic accommodations tends to occur on Mondays, when travelers can save more than 15% compared with booking and staying on the most expensive day, Friday.

Book close to arrival

That's not just a fluke. Kayak data shows rates tend to drop the closer it gets to check-in time — but not too close. “Our data shows that waiting until you're about two weeks out from checking in is when we do see prices sort of starting to drop,” Clarke said.

They refer to their customers as guests. Cast members are trained to acknowledge each guest with a smile anytime they come within 10 feet of that person.

2) the delayed check-in times (3PM or 4PM) are to allow housekeeping enough time to get all the rooms clean. If there are enough available rooms, most hotels let you check in early, but they don't want you to ASSUME that just because you show up early you can check in.

Some hotels are playing it even more safe by removing room 420 altogether from their room numbers. It´s kind of a superstitious move – the same way hotels went mad some decades ago and removed level 13 and room number 13. Other hotels have been even more creative with their solution, labelling room 420 as “419 + 1”.

Towels are actually the most stolen items from hotel rooms, which is why many high-end hotels are actually installing electronic tags on them. With towels and even bed linens in your luggage, you might end up having to pay for whatever you took because of the tracking microchips installed in them.

“A bugging device in a hotel is not easy to spot as they are often concealed inside everyday items (smoke detectors, fire alarms, clock radios, landline phones, docking stations, speakers, and even behind power outlets, air-conditioning vents, or ceiling lights),” says Jurist.

Bring some disinfecting wipes and wipe off some of these surfaces before you touch them. Bring a pair of flip-flops you can wear in a grimy shower. Consider removing the bedspread altogether; if you get cold, use the bathroom towels for warmth. If the bed sheets look dirty, ask the front desk for a replacement set.

What is hotels secret price? ›

The “secret price” is a discount available on some hotels to any Rewards member. If you're logged into your account while searching, you'll see the discounted price when you search for hotels.

Does the $20 Dollar Trick Still Work in 2022? Often Yes. It worked nearly every time we have tried. We also hear of the trick working time and time again.

Under the 80/20 Tip Rule, you can only apply a tip credit to an employee if they spend at least 80% of their time in category 1, and no more than 20%, or 30 consecutive minutes, in category 2. Meanwhile, no tip credit can be applied to any work in category 3.

The ideal amount of time to book a hotel room is only 15 days before your trip, according to a 2021 NerdWallet study. Looking at more than 2,500 hotel room rates between 2019 and 2021, NerdWallet found rates were about 13% cheaper when booked 15 days before compared to four months before.

Average daily rate (ADR), one of the three key hotel performance indicators (along with occupancy and RevPAR), is the measure of the average paid for rooms sold in a given time period. The metric covers only revenue-generating guestrooms.

"The front desk agents are the ones who choose a room for you when you check in, choosing from the available inventory. If you call beforehand, you can talk to a front desk clerk and ask about the best rooms, like corner rooms, a room on a higher floor, away from the elevators and ice machines."

Sometimes overbooking happens simply because a guest doesn't check out when they are scheduled to leave or if a room becomes “out of service” due to an unexpected maintenance issue. Sometimes, however, simultaneous bookings happen when two guests book the same room from different channels at the same time.

Though it's best to phone ahead, you can negotiate on arrival. If you walk in without a reservation and are unhappy with the rate you are quoted, tell the desk clerk and ask if there is a lower rate or offer a rate that you are willing to pay.

Best time to book a hotel on the day of your stay

Prices usually plummet around 4 pm as hotels work to entice customers to their empty rooms. If you're bold enough to wait until after 8 pm, you'll find prices probably reduce by another 5-10% again.

What is the best app for booking cheap hotels? ›

The “secret price” is a discount available on some hotels to any Rewards member. If you're logged into your account while searching, you'll see the discounted price when you search for hotels.

For example, you buy a Crazy Deal item for $20 that comes with a $10 Crazy Deal Gift Card. If you return the item with the full $10 balance on your Crazy Deal Gift Card, you will get $20 back. If the Crazy Deal Gift Card has been partially used and only has $5 left, you will only get $15 back on your return.

The CEO of Booking.com insists her platform never has to worry about fake hotel reviews, unlike competitors such as TripAdvisor. “With Booking.com, it's always real,” Gillian Tans said during a one-to-one video interview with Yahoo Finance UK at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

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