Planning a trip? Want to take a luxury vacation and get away but don’t want to break the bank just to get away and recharge your life? We all want that. Or rather need that. But who says we can’t splurge for luxury stays? Oh that’s right, our bank accounts do. That is how I used to think it worked. But I have found some cheats for some hotel room deals. If you want to save the money to afford the vacation you had to book the cheap, run of the mill hotels in the bad parts of town. You know the one, with the musty smell and unpainted spackle on the walls. The cockroach motels. We have all been there. Especially with the cost of living increasing and everything going up besides our income. But what if I told you you can take that luxury, 5-star hotel on a roach motel budget. You would say that I’m crazy. I’m telling you it is 100% doable. These 5-star stays are not just for the high-rollers anymore. With the right strategies and planning, you can sleep in style without draining the bank account. Lets dive in and go over the strategies that help my family stay well while on vacation.
Here Are Some Ways In Finding the Right Hotel Room Deals
1. Book at the right time
First of all, timing is everything. Booking on the right dates means saving a lot of money. Just like the fluctuating cost of flights, hotels have a similar schedule. The higher the demand for the room the higher the cost. Prices often drop 2-3 weeks before the check-in date. Luckily for us, there are tools like Google Hotels, Hopper, or Kayak to watch and shop for deals making it easier for us to find the right stays at a fraction of the cost. You can also schedule your vacations or stays during the shoulder season. Planning around the busy season such as spring and fall can save you money as well. These not peak times make the hotel rooms lower as the demand for the room is lessened.
2. Compare Rates Across Platforms
I know we all feel like we have time restraints and if you are anything like the rest of us you also like to wait until the last minute. This is a bad habit that will cost you more, every time. Don’t always go with the 1st price you see. There is a better way to save. A little known secret is that the prices across platforms are not the same. By doing your research and comparing rates side by side you can make the right decision and save big. So compare Expedia, booking.com, hotels.com, etc… Then before you book, check the same room on the official hotel website. Sometimes you get lucky and save even more by going to the source. Sometimes booking direct also gives you more perks such as free upgrades, breakfast, and flexible cancellations.
3. Join Loyalty Programs-Even If You Don’t Stay Often
Almost all hotel chains have some kind of loyalty program. Most have new customer programs that give you perks to incentivize you to sign up. You are not required to stay and only use them, but are free to come and go as you please. But these programs can save you money. So use them to your advantage. Hotel brands such as Marriott Bonvoy, Wyndham Rewards and Hilton Honors are just a few out of the many chains that have a strong reward program.
4. Use Credit Cart Travel Portals and Rewards
These days there are many ways to save money while booking. As with flights, cruises, retail stores, there are programs in place that offer credit cards. Now I know what you’re thinking, you already have enough cards and don’t want another. I used to think the same way. Wouldn’t even look at the offer. Just seen the words credit card and instantly scrolled away. But take a closer look. Yes, they want you to sign up as a way to lock you in. However, these programs are beneficial and can save you huge. Some offer money back while others offer free stays or huge discounts just for signing up. But signing up for a credit card doesn’t mean that you have to stay with them forever. If they are offering free bonuses and upgrades just for signing up, use it to your full advantage. You can always cancel after your trip. Read up and do your homework because some of these programs can actually be a better fit for you than the credit card you carry with you currently. Like I said, many of these credit cards have more exclusive deals and discounts through their online portals such as Chase Travel, Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, or Capital One Travel). Note that some of these even offer resort credits as well as early check-ins and later check out times. With countless offers, going with a new credit card and reaping the reward is a great option when trying to save money on a trip.
5. Take Advantage of Flash Sales and Deal Alerts
There are times, and it happens quite a bit that hotels cannot get to full capacity especially now with people watching their expenses. Hotels would rather book the room at a discount than to have the room stay empty. When it gets closer to the date, hotels will discount the rooms in order to make sure the hotel is full and all rooms are booked. When it does it is a first come first serve and then the rooms are booked. Even luxury hotels quietly drop the price of their stays. They don’t advertise it. They would rather book your stay at full price. So how do we find these deals? Luckily we have tools for everything. By using tools such as Secret Escapes, Priceline Express Deals, or Travelzoo, you can find limited time deals. These tools even have a price alert feature that can send you a notification if the hotel has a flash sale on the date you are trying to book. Don’t just use one. Set alerts on all and snag your deal. Never pay full price especially when we have tools that can save us huge?
6. Expand Your Search Radius
Now I know when we are looking for a hotel we usually associate our searches to be close to the activity that we plan. For example if you are headed to Williamsburg, Virginia to spend the weekend at Busch Gardens you may think that you need to stay in a hotel 3 minutes from the park. While it is more convenient, it is not always the best financial option as you could end up spending more. Instead broaden your search and look for hotels away from activities and city centers, and look on city outskirts. While it may be less convenient, these hotels offer a half rate without sacrificing quality. These hotels can also offer shuttle services as well as easy transit options to make getting around a breeze.
7. Ask (Politely) For an Upgrade
A trick that is rarely performed but can be effective. Not guaranteed by any means but can work on occasion. By simply asking for an upgrade, especially when celebrating a birthday or anniversary can get you into your dream stay. Now this only happens when the hotel isn’t booked up and they have multiple empty rooms. But this can upgrade you into a bigger, more luxurious room and even an ocean view room. Hotels will offer this as they want to serve their customers better and keep you coming back. But don’t expect this as this is a rare upgrade. So don’t be upset if they tell you know. But if it works, you just scored a top tier room at no expense to you.
8. Book Extended Stays or Midweek Nights
Luxury hotels will often offer a cheaper rate if you can stay 3+ nights. Usually the longer the stay the bigger the discount. And just like flights, midweek bookings have discounts of their own as these are the slow times of the week. I usually try to adopt both tactics and do my vacations midweek with multiple night stays to save money.
9. Take Advantage of Package Deals
A lot of times if you are booking your flight and you stay together you can save a large amount of money. Especially when you are booking a higher end luxury room. Using sites like Expedia, Costco Travel, and Orbitz and clicking on the bundles is usually a lot cheaper than booking separately. You can also add a vehicle rental into the mix and save even more. Not only does bundling save you money but it adds the convenience of having everything booked into the same place and to not have multiple sites, multiple companies, can lessen the stress of juggling it all.
10. Follow Hotels on Social Media
If there is a hotel that you are interested in, follow them on their official social media such as Facebook and Instagram. A lot of the time luxury hotels will offer promotions, discount codes and limited offers that you can take advantage of when booking. These types of promotions are usually offered to their followers first as a reward to being an active follower. So find the ones you like and follow. These can often give you insights on types of stays and vacation ideas as well. It costs you nothing and can save you a lot.
Luxury travel has been thought of for only the super rich. Just out of reach for the common traveler. Really we just don’t even think of it as an option, especially when the budget for your getaways doesn’t allow it. Who says it can’t be affordable. By using these tactics, tips and tricks you can get yourself into a luxury hotel for a fraction of the cost. Or even with a realistic budget. This isn’t something that comes to you. You need to search for these deals. But with all of the tools out there to make this easy. So do your research and enjoy your stay in luxury. Cause you work hard and you deserve it.
