subject: How To Secure Lower Rates At A Cheap Hotel [print this page] Make no apologies for trying to make even bigger savings. Hotels in every category still manage to make huge profits so there is no reason that you cannot negotiate for a large discount or take advantage of them when they become available. Everyone has taken a beating financially and managing to save a few more bucks makes a difference. The cheap hotel option has become a norm for most travellers but there are still ways of making more savings here.
1. Coupon books - for those who travel on the road there are readily available coupon books that can be bought at gas stations or stores that offer discounts on accommodation at a variety of cheap hotels in the area. It may also be a good idea to ask the person serving you which one offers the best accommodation. You may also find offers in the local paper and local guide book so check carefully.
2. Off season - this is the best time to seek out promotion. During these periods, all hotels generally reduce their rates to try and attract the little clientele coming into the area. You can confirm if it is the low season online.
3. Negotiate - first establish what the going rate is. This is the figure that will probably be on offer online or the first one quoted when you call the hotel. It is always on the higher side. Fortunately cheap hotels have a short chain of command so you should be able to be quickly connected to the person in charge. Ask if there is any way they can reduce the rate as you would really like to stay with them but may not be able to afford it. You will be buttering them up while putting across that you need a lower rate. Be sure to mention if you have a coupon toward the end of the conversation to get better discounts. Once you have negotiated for the best price note it down but do not commit. Let them know you will call back.
4. Explore your options - never restrict your choices to a single hotel unless it is the only one in town. Check online or in a guide book for your available options in cheap hotel accommodation and call each one in turn. Negotiate and at the end of it all, make your judgement on which one is offering the best value for money.
Even after making your booking, check on any discount offers that may come out before your date of check in. Particularly in low season, you will still have the opportunity to enjoy bigger discounts. On the day of checking in, be sure to arrive when there are few people at the desk and leave your bags in the car. Enquire about your booking and ask if there are any better rooms available at the same rate. If the manager sees the potential of losing a paying client, he or she will be glad to accommodate you in a better room at the same rate. If you are the member of an association like an automobile club, be sure to check if you are entitled to lower rates.
