subject: Cheap Hotel Rooms [print this page] Be it a business trip or an entertaining vacation, finding a cheap hotel room is hard. If you are on a shoe string budget and want to make your entire trip cheap, remember that hotel rooms are going to cost a lot! Planning ahead and keeping the following ideas in mind, it shouldn't be too hard for you to find your ideal cheap hotel room.
Cheap hotel rooms don't necessarily mean horrible service, filthy rooms and located in the middle of nowhere. You can get a decent hotel if you look at the right places. As long as you are willing to forgo the extra frills. Here's how:
Your Budget
Have you decided on how much you want to spend on your trip? If not, there is no way of narrowing down your search. Decide how much money you want to spend overall on your trip, and allocate accordingly, for the hotel room. Know what you want from a hotel room, do you want a luxurious room with all the extras, or just a modest room to sleep?
Internet The Biggest Source Of Information
You can check and compare the price for many hotels, in the area you are visiting. See what deals they are offering, and promotional offers if any. Don't trust the pictures of the hotels that are put on the Internet, you never know how long back they were taken, or if they are part of a hotel chain, every hotel may look different. Cheaply priced hotels, do not automatically mean you just won the lottery. Do further research, and check if they are at least decently furnished and have the other necessary services.
Call Them
Call the hotel direct, and ask them if they can provide a discount or can match the lowest rate offered by another hotel. If you are staying for long, more than a week or so, you can get better deals. Usually the hotel staff will give you the best deal they can, since they don't want to lose out a customer to their competitors. So there are chances they will do the best to accommodate you. Being nice and polite always helps.
Don't Compromise
Depending on your budget, check what the hotel provides. They should have, decent size and quality of the room and bed, good service, and clean meals. While you must not expect a jacuzzi and a mint on the pillow on your budget, there is no need to compromise on the basics either.
Good Package Vs Bad Package
You will find a lot of cheap deals, combining your stay, with a flight and transport. It is good to check if you are actually getting a good deal, or actually paying much more. If you don't do your research and check the rates, you can easily get sucked into such deals. Then again, not all packages are bad, as long as you know what you need. Decide which deal is the best for you and then select. If you get the perfect travel package, it will make your entire trip cheaper.
Off Season
Prices will drop in order to attract business in the off-season. You will be saving a lot if you book rooms in off season. This way you will get the best rates and have a peaceful stay.
Being Flexible
If you are flexible when it comes to the location of your hotel, you will get a cheaper deal for sure. Hotels that are 20 miles away from a major tourist spot, will be much cheaper than the one right next to it. If you don't want to travel too much on your stay, this may be a bad idea.
Guidebook
Invest in an informative guidebook, it will be well worth your money. The local guidebook will often have the cheapest place to stay, eat and visit. They will fill you in with the cultural and famous spots of the area you are visiting as well. You can figure out which places you want to visit, and look for accommodation accordingly.
