subject: The Most Sensible Ways To Get Hotel Deals [print this page] One of the best ways to get cheap hotels is to book with an opaque booking website. This can be different from a conventional website considering that the name and address of the hotel aren't revealed. Some of the details about the hotel are disclosed for instance the general area, star rating, and amenities are disclosed. To enable the specific hotel to be revealed, the customer has to make a non-refundable booking.
Hotels with lots of unsold rooms do not want to undercut the normal reservations system by dropping prices. That's why a block of rooms will go to opaque channels so that prices do not have to be dropped for regular reservations. A consumer going with an opaque booking can save a lot of money.
In many cases, the way to get cheap hotels is to book an advance purchase rate where the consumer needs to make a non-refundable payment. This is similar to the booking on an opaque channel except that the name of the hotel is already known. Because of that, the prices will not be nearly as good. On the other hand, there may be a lot of value knowing exactly which hotel it is and what is its exact address.
The advance purchase rates are not available during peak instances when hotels feel that they can sell all the rooms without giving a discount. It will also not be available when it is pretty close to the arrival date of the stay. Often, the rate will disappear once the consumer is inside a week of the arrival date.
Yet another good way to find cheap hotels is to book during less popular times. The worst time to book a hotel is during the week that a convention is in town. This will often cause all of the hotel rooms in a city to run out. Meaning prices will be very high.
Instead, consumers should pick less popular days such as Fridays and Saturdays. Consumers should also look at the convention calendar for the city and try to avoid weeks when there are big conventions in town. Other events such as sports events and college graduation may also influence how full a hotel is going to be.
One other way many consumers save money with cheap hotels is to locate lodging that is a bit further away than the closest hotels. For instance, downtown hotels tend to be more expensive than those that are located 10 miles away. A customer may benefit from staying 10 miles away without giving up much in convenience if it is fast and simple to get into downtown. A knowledgeable consumer might choose to pick a hotel that is near a subway line that leads to downtown. That's how location can save a fortune.
There are occasions when there are no easy transportation options for choosing a hotel that's further away. That is why choosing a farther location doesn't always save money, especially if a cab ride or two is needed during the hotel stay.
