Last Updated: 11/8/21 | November 8th, 2021
As much as I like hostels, there is something nice about the luxuriousness of a hotel: the clean room, comfy bed, desk, iron, strong shower, as well as bottled soap for the taking (errr…I mean borrowing). They are a quiet, relaxing break from the world.
But high-end comes at a price.
Hotels aren’t inexpensive as well as I dislike costs money on a space I am only going to be in for a few hours. It’s why I mainly prevent hotels — I don’t believe they are a great utilize of money. I would much rather stay in a hostel, which costs less, has more social interaction, as well as doesn’t make you feel as eliminated from the destination you’re staying at. (I always feel hotels are isolating, like a concrete bubble keeping out the location you’re visiting.)
Way back in 2014, I was staying in a great deal of hotels as well as decided to see if I might discover the very best hotel booking site on the web.
The conclusion? Well, there wasn’t truly a fantastic conclusion. Some sites were much better than others depending upon place as well as hotel class however there was no remove winner.
I decided to do one more browse to try to discover the very best site to book a hotel in 2018. this time around the remove champion was Booking.com.
Though it didn’t return the largest number of overall places, Booking.com returned the largest number of inexpensive locations — as well as that’s the most important thing for budget plan travelers. The second-best hotel booking website was Agoda, which had a great deal of results, though it’s strong fit was in Asia.
Fast ahead to 2021 with me staying in a great deal of hotels once again while I drove cross-country (there’s not a great deal of hostels in the US). as well as what’s the very best booking site now? Google.
But, Matt, exactly how can Google be the very best hotel booking site when it’s a browse engine?
Well, let me explain!
How to book inexpensive Hotels
Here is exactly how to discover the cheapest hotel in one simple step:
Go to Google as well as type in where you want to go. For example, “New York City hotels.”
That’s it. Google will pull results from all the major booking websites as well as tell you what site is the cheapest. You just go there as well as book your hotel. That’s why it’s the very best booking site because, rather than browsing every website individually, you can just go to Google, discover which website has the cheapest rate, as well as book there. It saves a great deal of time!
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Click on the “View hotels” button at the bottom of the very first result section to go to Google’s hotel browsing hub.
Next, put in your dates as well as narrow your browse up until you discover a hotel you like in your cost range. You’ll be able to kind by lowest cost as well as you can look at the map to book by place also.
Click on a hotel as well as you’ll be provided with all your booking options. discover the lowest cost as well as head to that website. just keep in mind that the top results are usually ads, so scroll down to make sure you aren’t missing out on any type of deals.
Once you’ve discovered the lowest price, book at that website!
But, before you really book the room, there are a couple of other hacks you requirement to understand about to ensure you get the very best cost possible:
1. get in touch with the hotel directly – discover the hotel, phone call them up, as well as ask them to match the offer (they usually will since it saves them on commission). If they are a huge worldwide brand, the huge benefit to direct bookings is that you only make loyalty points as well as condition when you book direct, so if you like travel hacking, don’t book their spaces elsewhere!
2. utilize discount rate rates like AAA or AARP – If you are part of the AARP or AAA you can get special rates that are cheaper. fun fact: anyone can join the AARP. I’m a member. They have incredible travel benefits (including offers on hotels as well as British Airways flights). It’s well worth the membership.
3. utilize Mr.Rebates or Rakuten – If the lowest rate is with a major booking site like Booking.com, Expedia, or Hotels.com, go with Mr. Rebates or Rakuten. By utilizing their links, you’ll get 1-4% cashback. It’s a bit additional cost savings that can add up over time.
4. inspect HotelTonight – This hotel-booking app is perfect for last-minute bookings. If you have a versatile routine as well as wait up until after 4pm on the day of, you can discover hotels as much as 50% cheaper.
5. try SnapTravel – This site is finest for U.S. hotels. SnapTravel sends hotel offers directly to your phone or Facebook account. You just plug in your dates as well as what city you’ll be in, as well as they’ll send you the very best deals. You can save as much as 50% off the cost of a hotel with them. They are a helpful, under-the-radar service that has saved me a ton of money. Google usually listings them in their results however not always so it’s great to inspect directly.
6. indication up for Booking.com as well as Hotels.com loyalty programs – Hotels.com provides you a free space after 10 bookings as well as Booking.com offers members 10% off bookings. They definitely assisted a lot. before you indication up for their loyalty programs before you book with them!
7. get discounted gift cards – You can book major hotel chains with hotel gift cards. inspect out a website like Giftcardgranny.com for discounted gift cards as well as utilize it to book your hotel. (Gift card purchases likewise count toward point earnings as well as status.)
8. buy somebody else’s booking with Roomer – frequently people can’t go on a trip as well as can’t cancel the reservation, so rather than lose the money, hotels put these spaces on Roomer, where they offer it at a discount rate to make some money back. I’ve never utilized this website, however I’ve heard great things about it.
***
Hotel pricing is a great deal more set than airline pricing as well as has a tendency to fluctuate less. I wouldn’t spend hours browsing hotel websites or days tracking costs like people do with airline prices. I’d spend, at the most, 30 minutes on booking a hotel.
Just comply with the steps above to get a inexpensive hotel by utilizing my preferred (and what have been shown to be the best) hotel booking websites listed right here so you get a great offer as well as enjoy your trip quicker.
Want to discover all about points as well as miles?
Stop paying full cost for airfare! download our free guide to travel hacking as well as learn:
How To pick a credit history Card
How To make Miles for free Flights & Hotels
Is travel Hacking truly a Scam?
CLICK right here get THE free guide sent TO YOU
Book Your Trip: Logistical tips as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a inexpensive flight by utilizing Skyscanner. It’s my preferred browse engine since it searches websites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses as well as hotels.
Don’t fail to remember travel Insurance
Travel insurance coverage will protect you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s comprehensive security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it many times in the past. My preferred business that offer the very best service as well as value are:
SafetyWing (best for everyone)
Insure My trip (for those over 70)
Medjet (for extra evacuation coverage)
Ready to book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the very best business to utilize when you travel. I listing all the ones I utilize when I travel. They are the very best in class as well as you can’t go wrong utilizing them on your trip.