subject: How To Get The Best Deal On A Hotel [print this page] Getting good deals for a hotel room is a true haggler's game. The guidelines are sneaky and confusing. Following are a couple of bargaining tactics for attaining the best hotel rates:
Call the hotel you are interested in and ask for a lower rate. This trick does not always work, but sometimes it does and is worth a try. Ask if the hotel has any advertising or special rates and packages for the dates you're interested in. If you have AAA, are a senior, have a family, have frequent flier miles, or are a government employee, feel free to mention this when you call. Perhaps the hotel has special rates for certain members. A small secret is sometimes hotels have fallback rates. Fallback rates are special rates for travelers who refuse to pay the requested rate.
Shop online. Check discounted hotel deals daily on the web on your favorite sites. Sometimes hotels run exclusive promotions for on the internet bookings. Keep in mind that some on the web sites charge booking fees. Therefore, once you have found a great hotel deal on the web, call the hotel directly to ask if the hotel can match the rate found in order to avoid an on the web booking fee.
Call the hotel directly instead of booking through the 800 number reservation system. The reason for this is sometimes agents do not have the authority to negotiate. Hotels may be more flexible with their rates if they have a low number of bookings and want to discount the rooms.
Be flexible. Hotel rates vary greatly depending on the date. If you are interested in a hotel that serves mostly organization travelers, then a great weekend rate might be found. Whereas, if the interest is in a B&B, leisure property or family-type hotel, rooms on the weekdays will be the cheapest. Peak seasons also have a great impact on hotel room prices. If a trip is scheduled for off-peak season, a room can be found at a cheaper rate.
Take advantage of Last-minute specials. They are advertised often. If travel plans are flexible, booking a hotel room at the last minute works well because hotel managers lower the rates to fill the remaining rooms.
Search for vouchers and coupons for hotel room online. Do a web search for hotel coupons.
After booking a hotel room for the future, follow the hotel rates for chosen dates. If rates drop and there is no penalty for cancellation, cancel and rebook the same room.
