Cheap seems to be the name of the day when you're looking for a hotel to lodge in these days. Be it London, Manchester, Chicago or Las Vegas people are always keen to shave a few cents off of their vacation fees. Here's a quick guide to help you find the correct price and make the right choices.
Possibly the largest price determining factor is the time you make your booking. I think most vital thing here is to book your room well ahead to ensure you get a great deal. Equally, booking a room prior to or during a major sporting event can have a massive effect on the cost you pay.
The trick here is to consider when the hotel is likely to be empty and under booked. Usually, this is just after a big event such as a public holiday. An example is just after the children's summer holiday in October. Vistors are less likely to be away then as they value their children's schooling and prefer not to get in the way with it.
Another idea is to book for slightly unusual dates. For example booking in almost any hotel from Sunday to Wednesday is always lower in price and you may be able to get a much better room. You will also find that the many events and activities going on around the city at the start of the week may be cheaper due to the decreased numbers of people.
If you have Internet access you can always make use of the comparison websites. These are slightly slow and can be tedious but they are a great way to save some money. During my time using these websites I found it best to stick with one as they're all more or less much the same, they all give similar discounts with the operators.
The hotel area will play a big role in the price too. Opting to stay at a centrally placed hotel near the city centre is going to cost a little bit more than one on the fringes. Utilise Google maps to your benefit here and get a good idea of the travel gap versus price ratio. You don't want to save money on the room only to pay it out again (and usually more) on travel costs back into the town.
Consider the perks and facilities you require with your hotel too. Is it necessary to pay for a gymnasium when you have no intention of using it? Usually they'll state it comes free with the room but this is very unlikely, they need to recoup the costs someway don't they?
I know many people dislike bartering over the phone but in the case of independent hotels you might find yourself able to talk a good deal if you are persistent. Its less likely with a large hotel, these have fixed rates and tend not to speak on individual terms. Personally run businesses are way more approachable though. Give it a try, you might learn a new skill you were unaware you had.
Clearly there are more things to consider when booking a hotel than you first though. Don't be overwhelmed though, with a little forethought and careful planning you can cut your hotel fee in quater.
Possibly the largest price determining factor is the time you make your booking. I think most vital thing here is to book your room well ahead to ensure you get a great deal. Equally, booking a room prior to or during a major sporting event can have a massive effect on the cost you pay.
The trick here is to consider when the hotel is likely to be empty and under booked. Usually, this is just after a big event such as a public holiday. An example is just after the children's summer holiday in October. Vistors are less likely to be away then as they value their children's schooling and prefer not to get in the way with it.
Another idea is to book for slightly unusual dates. For example booking in almost any hotel from Sunday to Wednesday is always lower in price and you may be able to get a much better room. You will also find that the many events and activities going on around the city at the start of the week may be cheaper due to the decreased numbers of people.
If you have Internet access you can always make use of the comparison websites. These are slightly slow and can be tedious but they are a great way to save some money. During my time using these websites I found it best to stick with one as they're all more or less much the same, they all give similar discounts with the operators.
The hotel area will play a big role in the price too. Opting to stay at a centrally placed hotel near the city centre is going to cost a little bit more than one on the fringes. Utilise Google maps to your benefit here and get a good idea of the travel gap versus price ratio. You don't want to save money on the room only to pay it out again (and usually more) on travel costs back into the town.
Consider the perks and facilities you require with your hotel too. Is it necessary to pay for a gymnasium when you have no intention of using it? Usually they'll state it comes free with the room but this is very unlikely, they need to recoup the costs someway don't they?
I know many people dislike bartering over the phone but in the case of independent hotels you might find yourself able to talk a good deal if you are persistent. Its less likely with a large hotel, these have fixed rates and tend not to speak on individual terms. Personally run businesses are way more approachable though. Give it a try, you might learn a new skill you were unaware you had.
Clearly there are more things to consider when booking a hotel than you first though. Don't be overwhelmed though, with a little forethought and careful planning you can cut your hotel fee in quater.
About the Author:
New blog about hotels in Cardiff for cheap. Also with tips on booking in Cardiff too
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