SAVE ON HOTELS

JULY 3, 2012 - SAVE ON HOTELS 

When traveling, the cost of the hotel room may be a major portion of the expenses incurred. If you want to travel in style, but don't want to put yourself into debt, you're going to need to do a little bit of digging around to find the best deal. In this guide on how to book a cheap hotel room, we're going to show you the best ways to find cheap hotel rooms, without getting stuck in the Bates Motel.

Step 1: Check Price Comparison Sites

• Price comparison websites such as SideStep, Yahoo! Farechase and Kayak will check multiple websites, including hotel consolidators and booking services, for hotel room prices.  They will then tell you the lowest price found.

Step 2: Call the Hotel

• By calling the hotel directly, you can frequently get a lower rate than the one advertised on the web. However, you must call the hotel itself, not the national 800 number, to get these rates.

Step 3: Ask for a Discount

• Always ask for a discount when you speak to the hotel. If they don't offer you a discount, ask them if they will upgrade you to a better class of room at that rate.  Be nice. The nicer you are, the more likely you are to get a better rate or an upgrade.

Step 4: Ask to Match the Lowest Rate

• Often, hotels will match the lowest rate you've found online. Additionally, many chains have programs in which they offer big discounts if you find a rate lower than their lowest rate.  If their lowest rates aren't as low as the one you found online, ask if they will match the rate you found.

Step 5: Bid for a hotel room

• If you are flexible about the specific hotel, bid for a hotel room on Priceline or Hotwire. The hotels are deeply discounted, but you won't know what specific hotel you're staying at until your bid is accepted. There are many strategies you can use to get an exceptionally deep discount.

While there are many sites on the internet that will tell you they have the best rate, the best way to get a hotel room on the cheap, that isn't a dump, is to do some sleuthing on your own. Nothing beats the persuasive power of a phone call to the hotel itself. Remember: it never hurts to ask. Of course, you can also make out like a bandit by bidding on the room you want. No hotel wants their beds empty.