Last Updated on August 4, 2022
Learn How To Save Money On Hotels
Everyone loves to travel. But traveling comes with some challenges. You need to think about accommodation, food, and transportation. Some people choose to rent their own place while traveling, while others choose to stay at hotels.
Staying at a hotel has a lot of advantages. You do not have to worry about cleaning and changing sheets, but also about food and cooking. Many hotels offer room service and have lunch packages. You would have everything covered, and you could focus on visiting the place.
The only thing you have to do is pay the price. That could be a challenge since some hotels tend to be expensive. That is the disadvantage here, but do not worry. There are many tips that could help you reduce the price.
In this article we are going to cover how to save money on hotels. You are also going to find out how to protect yourself in case of having to cancel the reservation. Then we are going to mention some apps and websites that will help you save money on hotels.
How To Save Money For a Trip and Hotel
Before you go on a trip and choose a hotel, you need to think about saving some money. Depending on the location, hotels can be expensive — especially, if you want to visit the big ones, with luxury rooms. Having cash saved gives you security in case something happens.
You could save money in many ways. It could take you three to six months of saving to afford your dream vacation and hotel, depending on how much you save. You could save money on different things, like food, bills, and rent. To save money on bills, you could use the half payment method. It allows you to divide your bills in half and pay them by the due date. That way, you won’t get into debt.
When you save money on the things we mentioned, you could put that savings away for traveling and hotels. Some other useful methods to save money are:
In the table below, we’ve compared these two methods and how each one works. You can see how the 50-30-20 method is focused on dividing your income in three categories. The digital envelope system is more focused on organizing your savings with online envelopes and storing your cash in them. Check it out:
50-30-20 method | Digital envelope system |
1st category – needs (essential things) = 50% | Divide the online envelopes into categories, the main one being “money for a hotel”. |
2nd category – wants (pleasure things) = 30% | Store cash each month in them. |
3rd category – saving (emergency and goals) = 20% | Keep track and be careful to not overspend the money. |
With the 50-30-20 method, you could also combine the income from “wants” and “saving.” That way, you could save double the money for traveling and hotels.
Tips To Save Money On Hotels
Ever since the economy has shaken up, hotel prices have gone up. It does not matter if you want to stay in a top hotel or an average hotel. It would still cost you a significant amount of money. But there are various tips to help you save money on hotels. Some of them are:
- Take advantage of the hotel points program
- Apply for a hotel credit card
- Get hotel cash back
- Research about BRG (best rate guarantee)
- Pay in advance
Hotel points program
If you travel regularly, you must be familiar with these programs. A great way to earn hotel points is to buy from the hotel itself. Also, try to stay at the same hotel every time you visit the same location. That way, you will collect points, and you can use them for your next reservation. Loyalty programs are designed exactly for that. Some of the best ones are the Wyndham Rewards, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Hotel credit card
Now, this has nothing to do with bank cards nor having to fix your credit score. The thing about hotel credit cards is that they allow you to use them between partners. Hotel partnership is a joint relationship between hotels to boost sales and resources.
If you do not stay at the same hotel every time, you can find out who the partners are for that hotel. Then you can apply for a credit card and use it for different hotel partners. They even offer free bonus points when you sign-up. You could even score a free night at a hotel room.
Hotel cash back
It is possible to earn cashback from hotels. To do that you could book a room through another online portal. For example:
- Hotels.com
- Booking
- TopCashBack
- Dosh
Best rate guarantee (BRG)
BRG means that the hotel guarantees that the rates at their site are the best. If you later find a better price on a different website for the same hotel, you could use BRG to lower your price. Many people may not know that this option exists. They tend to miss out on a huge opportunity to save money.
Pay in advance
Many hotels offer the possibility of a discount if you pay the price for the room in advance. That way, you can even save a certain percentage of your money depending on the hotel. This might be attractive to people who tend to travel on a regular basis. It saves them headaches along the way because they know they have it all covered.
Get Cheap Hotel Rooms
If you want to get cheap hotel rooms, there are six known ways for you to do that:
- Research websites and social media for deals
- Try to catch last-minute deals
- Negotiate the prices
- Use affiliations
- Pick a different location
Social media and website deals
Look for the social media pages of the hotel you have in mind and follow them. Many of them tend to promote special deals. They have deals for special dates and holidays. Also, check out their websites to be informed on those special deals.
Last-minute deals
There are many sites that publish last-minute deals. They are special because they have a reduced price for their last-minute call. Check out Hotels.com or HotelTonight to see if there are any available last-minute deals.
Negotiate prices
Sometimes, the price on their website is negotiable. You could call them to explain your situation and ask for a lower price. Some hotels may accommodate you, especially if it is for a longer stay or a low-traffic season.
Use affiliations
If you are part of some special groups, you could qualify for a discount on travel. For example, if you are a student, senior, government employee, or AAA member. You can check the website or call and ask the hotel for these kinds of deals.
Change location
You could also check out other hotels around the same city. If you do your research well, you could land a special deal at a different hotel. Also, try to get a hotel away from the city center, as they typically have cheaper rates. So, be sure to check all your options.
How To Save Money When Staying In A Hotel
If you can’t save money for a trip or hotels, you could also consider going on a budget and saving money while you are there. Some well-known tips for saving while you are in the hotel are:
- Use free Wi-Fi
- Use hotel parking
- Do your laundry
- Skip the bar
If you subscribe to the hotel loyalty program, you could get free Wi-Fi. That would save you a lot of money, and you could also add points to your card. You could also get a Wi-Fi travel router and use it for your vacation.
Make sure to book a room that includes a parking spot since parking at the hotel could be cheaper than parking in an offsite lot.
Not having to worry about laundry is great. It could cost you a lot of money if you did that job at the hotel. So, make sure to find a local laundry room, and you could do your laundry there for a lower price.
Yes, hotel bars are fancy. But they can also cost a lot. You could have drinks in your room and invite some friends over. Or you could go out to a local bar which could have more affordable pricing.
How To Save Money On Food When Staying In A Hotel
We separated this section because there are more ways to save on food in a hotel:
- Book an all-inclusive resort
- Book a hotel where there is free breakfast
- Make your own breakfast
- Get a room with a kitchen
All-inclusive resorts include the room and unlimited food and drinks. It could be cheaper to book an all-inclusive room rather than having to pay for each meal. Be sure to check their website to see what deals they offer. If you can’t find an all-inclusive room, you could search for a room with a free breakfast.
But if you can’t find a room with free breakfast, your other option is to do your breakfast yourself. You can buy some items and be creative. You can save a lot of money by doing this. Shop in local stores and make sure to get the essential items. You could also do your other meals in your room.
Your room needs to have a kitchen for you to be able to cook. That way you will save money for eating outside or in the hotel. But if your room does not come with a kitchen, make sure for it to have at least a microwave and a coffee maker.
