Locating The Cheapest Price On Hotel Rooms
It can be exhilarating to go on a vacation and enjoy staying in a luxurious hotel room. Yet many people can’t take advantage of that option and go for a more moderate hotel because of the cost involved. There are some good techniques to get the hotel room you would prefer at a price you find affordable. It will require some upfront planning and research to get it done.
Keep in mind that for any hotel the week-ends are their busiest times of business. Planning your stay during the week will help you get a much lower rate. You also need to do research to find out the slowest time of year for that given hotel. If you book during their slow times you should be able to get a significant discount since from their perspective something is better then nothing.
You should check for discounts for any memberships you have (i.e. like military or AAA). Call the hotel and ask them what discounts they offer. While you have them on the line ask them to quote you the very lowest price they can offer. Then compare this price to different online sites. For some suggestions to check into goto Shopping Sucks or the Saving Money Shopping Mall.
Results vary but sometimes you will find the best prices online and sometimes you will get it by contacting the hotel directly. If for some reason you prefer booking with the hotel directly and their price is higher then what you found online then simply ask them to HONOR the lower price. You should also keep in mind that a lot of hotels offer discounts for frequent stayers or even free upgrades and days of stay for those that have stayed in their hotel a set number of times.
If you will be staying at the hotel for several days at a time you will likely get special treatment. This could be a room close to the elevator or with the best type of view. You should communicate that you want something like that after you have stated the amount of time you want to stay in their establishment while making the reservation. In most cases this is no extra cost to them at all but you have to ask for it to get it!.
You should always ask for a free upgrade when you arrive to check in. If they have the room available they may be able to honor your request. There is no guarantee that it will happen though so be prepared that you will be in the type of room you paid for. Of course your chances improve greatly if you are staying during the week or a slow time. Simply state that you would like to stay in a room with a balcony for example and if they could upgrade you to one.
Most people tend to make their arrangements for hotel stays way in advance. This works to ensure you will have a room. But if you can be a little more flexible on the days you plan to stay then you can keep an eye out for the best prices. There are some awesome deals to be found on sites that offer last minute travel deals. You have to be careful though because you don’t want to end up with no hotel room at all.
You can try to work out a deal by simply walking into a hotel in the late evening to see what is still available. In this scenario they have a room that will go unused unless they offer it to you. On the other hand they may also see the last minuteness as leverage against you. Don’t be afraid to say no to their offer and try to renegotiate it. Too many people simply walk into a hotel, ask the price, and then pay for it without any negotiating taking place whatsoever.
If you are traveling with a group and you are all staying at the same hotel then make sure you ask about a group discount. Just be aware of front that sometimes to get the group discount they may require all of the rooms to be paid for together. However, some hotels do offer this discount and offer separate billing.
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Tags: hotel rooms, traveling