How to get a hotel room cheaper than the best price online (2023)

FAQs

How do you get a reduced rate at a hotel? ›

If it's feasible, wait until the day you need the hotel room to book it. The later in the day, the better. After 4 p.m., hotels know the odds of selling a room are pretty slim, so you're more likely to get an even lower rate. On average, the same-day rate of a hotel room is 10% cheaper than booking in advance.

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. Always wait until the desk is not busy.

You usually need to speak to a designated person such as the 'on-property revenue manager'. Often, though, entirely apart from room rate discounts — major chain hotels try to enforce pricing uniformity — you may be able to obtain add-ons like upgrades, breakfast, late check-out and on-property discounts.

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.

Most hotels use revenue management software and other algorithms to automatically update their hotel room rates. If you search different dates for the same location you will notice that hotel prices can go up and down from day to day.

Ideal Check-In Day

In general, Sunday is the least expensive day of the week to begin your stay at a hotel. In fact, settling in on a Sunday can save travelers up to 19% on overall room rates, compared to mid-week check-ins.

If it's feasible, wait until the day you need the hotel room to book it. The later in the day, the better. After 4 p.m., hotels know the odds of selling a room are pretty slim, so you're more likely to get an even lower rate. On average, the same-day rate of a hotel room is 10% cheaper than booking in advance.

Since hotels are always aiming to maximize their occupancy rate, many will decrease their rates if they aren't meeting their expected targets. That's why you'll often see hotels dropping their prices a few days before a check-in date or on the day of arrival.

Initiate bargaining by asking something like, "Is that your best price?" Take a polite, positive approach. Body language and facial expressions play a big part. Look interested, but not so eager they'll feel confident you'll buy regardless. Smile and be friendly, but be prepared to walk away if necessary.

Do you get a better room if you book direct with hotel? ›

Advantages of Booking a Hotel Directly

You can often find better rates by booking directly, too — a concern for budget-conscious travelers. By calling a hotel directly, you find out about any specials perks or packages they have available. In some cases, you can get a better room for the same amount of money.

Sometimes you can get a cheaper rate if you call the hotel directly. Look at dates, room type and price on-line and then call the hotel to see if you can get better rate or upgraded room. Prices are usually cheaper in advance, but another major pricing force is holiday/vacation timing.

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.”

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.

While your hotel's management usually won't be able to see the contents of your communications, they can easily find out what websites you visit and how much time you spend browsing the Internet.

Expedia. Those looking for steeply discounted hotel bookings should use the Expedia app. It comes with exclusive deals you may not find when booking on its website. This includes deals up to 40% off as well as the app-only Expedia Rewards rate of 2 points per dollar.

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.

However, if you are trying to find last minute hotel deals, the best time to book a hotel is after 4pm. This is when hotels will drop their prices to entice travelers to fill their rooms for the night. For those who are dedicated budget hunters, the best time to book hotel for lowest prices is after 8pm.

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.

On average, travelers saved about $30 per night by booking last-minute, which can really add up. The savings were even higher for luxury hotels: About 22% cheaper when booked 15 days out. However, if you're traveling to a popular destination or during a busy travel season, you risk not snagging your first-choice hotel.

Is it better to book a hotel online or over the phone? ›

Customer service: If something goes wrong with your trip or your stay, you'll get better customer service if you book directly through the hotel. That's because hotels give priority to reservations made directly with them since they didn't have to pay a commission fee.

It's Cheaper to Book Direct

By booking directly, you could save this amount, or know that the full amount is going to the hotel for your stay. Hotels tend to offer the best rates when you book directly with them and it's a great incentive. It benefits both you and the hotel when you make a reservation directly.

Bargain hunters often say hotel prices go down at night. And they may be on to something. “Hotels often greatly discount their overnight rates a few hours prior to check-in to get the occupancy rate up and an extra 'head in a bed,'” says Yannis Moati, CEO of HotelsByDay.

This can sometimes happen between when you book your stay and when you stay at the hotel. Thanks to the flexibility of booking award nights, you can generally cancel and rebook your stay if you see a price drop. This lets you rebook at the lower rate and pocket the points difference in the process.

You may have heard that there is a cheap window of time during the week to book your airline tickets. According to CheapAir.com, that's a myth. The day and time of the week have no impact on ticket prices.

Yes, it is rude to ask anyone for a discount for anything unless there is a legitimate reason such as the job won't be done on time, or there's some other reason you shouldn't have to pay the full amount.

To answer the price question right away while also building value, try one of these strategic responses. Use a direct, matter-of-fact, confident tone. Price + Question: "The preliminary price is $____ and that includes ______. What criteria, other than price, will you be using to make your final decision?"

How do you negotiate without offending? ›

Hotels tend to provide discounts based on the guest type. You must also have various types of guests visiting your property. Set up discounts for all such types of guests viz. business travelers, leisure travelers, VIP guests, repeated guests, and so on.

Since hotels are always aiming to maximize their occupancy rate, many will decrease their rates if they aren't meeting their expected targets. That's why you'll often see hotels dropping their prices a few days before a check-in date or on the day of arrival.

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.

Did you know that you're entitled to a refund if the price of your hotel room, rental car, or airfare drops after you've booked? Pricing in the travel industry is based on a surge pricing model, also known as supply and demand, which means that rates and fares go up and down all the time.

Loyalty discounts - discounts for frequent customers. Trade discounts - discounts for trading in a similar product. Cash discounts - discounts for paying in cash instead of credit. Quantity discounts - discounts that encourage purchasing more of one product.

On average, the same-day rate of a hotel room is 10% cheaper than booking in advance.

For solo travellers and couples, Airbnbs are typically more expensive (though NerdWallet's study only looked at "entire place" properties, so people sharing a room or home might still save). NerdWallet compared the price per head for Airbnbs with a maximum capacity of two adults against a hotel room in the same city.

The more expensive the hotel, the more likely it is to be open to negotiation. Sometimes you can get a good rate by doing your negotiating toward the end of the same day you want to stay, but you are taking a chance that nothing will be available or the person with the power to make the decision will not be in.

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.

Many hotels and online travel agencies offer price match guarantees. Find a lower rate for your room via another online source within a certain period of time (such as 24 hours), and you'll be either refunded or credited the difference. Hotels.com has the most expansive price match.