How to Find Good Hotel Deals
Finding a hotel room is easy today. The Internet has made us our own travel agents. The problem isn't that there's not enough information, the problem now is that there's too much information. The question is which websites give you the quickest way to find the best deals?
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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Hit the Internet
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Go to Travelocity.com for listings of hotel rooms in the US, South America, Asia and Europe. You can book everything from your air flight, to your car rental and hotel all from one place. In general the hotel rooms booked through Travelocity are at a 25 to 50 percent discount off the normal price. In addition the hotels are rated by people who have stayed there so you'll know in advance whether it is a good hotel or not.
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2
Bid on a hotel by going to PriceLine.com. The interface is similar to Expedia.com and it offers hotels, flights, cruises, car rentals and activities. However, on Priceline.com you can bid on your hotel room and name the price that you are willing to pay.
To bid on a room on Priceline start by choosing your city and check-in and check-out dates. A list of hotels will come up. When it does, click on "Name Your Own Price." Click on the map and choose the area you want to stay in. Then click on the level of hotel you are interested in. After you've done this, Priceline.com will calculate the average price of a hotel in the area you wish to stay in. From here, you can bid as much as 50 percent off of that. You will know immediately whether your offer was accepted or not. -
3
Travel off season. To get the best prices travel during the off season. In general the high season is summer followed by the spring. If you wish to get the very best prices on a hotel then you'll need to travel during the fall and winter. During the high season prices can be two to three times what they are during low season. Also be careful about traveling during holiday periods such as Christmas and Easter, when the kids are out of school and prices can skyrocket.
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Look for member's discounts. A lot of hotels give discounts for seniors, military, students, American Auto Association and corporations. Check these out beforehand by calling the hotel. Also, some of these groups, like AAA have their own travel agencies.
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