How to find hotel deals

When you travel you need somewhere to stay, of course there is always the options of staying with relatives, or friends, but hopefully at some point in your life you travel places where you have no relatives or friends. Also, in man cases it is nice to stay in hotel even if you do have friends or relatives in the area.

The following are some tips for how to find hotel deals no matter where you travel, or when:

Book your trip in advance. If you book early, you will get a better deal because you will not be paying high fees for your last minute hotel needs. Book as far out as possible. Airlines and hotels love people that book only a few days in advance, those are the ones that will always pay the most because they often have no choice. Of course there are those cases when they get a good last minute deal, but to ensure a good deal on a hotel, book at least 30 days in advance to get the best deals, and the best chance of availability.

Be Flexible. If you want the best deals on all things related to travel, including your hotel stay, you need to be somewhat flexible in when you are going. Whenever possible try and add some flexibility to your trip. For example, staying in a hotel Thursday to Friday, instead of Friday to Saturday can save you significant amounts of money. Of course, if you are staying a whole week, the overall price won't change much, but a Wednesday to Wednesday is going to be cheaper than Friday to Friday.

Keep Checking - It is best to take a few trips back to your online travel site when looking for hotels. Most hotels put new prices up several times a day, it is perfectly possible that a trip can drop hundreds of dollars in the span of a few hours. If you did book the more expensive trip, and the same room is cheaper, you can usually call and get ticket became cheaper (within twenty-four hours), you can often call the travel website for a credit of the difference.

Check Around - Not all booking websites are the same, and even though they often claim to check everywhere else for you, it is always a good idea to check for yourself as well. Even though they almost all use the same source for their prices, many have differing search systems, fees they tack on, etc. Some sites will advertise higher prices to make bigger profits, so beck thoroughly. Before committing to a ticket, take a few minutes to check all competitors' websites. When you purchase a room online, it is usually not going to be refundable, so make sure you check first, not after, or you may be spending more on your hotel than you have to.

Go Off Season- Off season rates are always going to be better, so consider traveling to the more expensive areas during their off season so that you can pay less for your hotel stays. If you intend to go during the peak seasons, be sure you go mid-week instead of on weekends. You will save on airfare mid-week as well, so your overall savings will be greater. Call the hotel and ask for the exact day its off-season rates start. Timing is everything.

Book Package Deals- Package deals are yet another great way to get better hotel deals. If you purchase online this is one of the only ways to get a good deal. This is especially effective if you combine hotel with airfare. Often times you can save up to 50% on your typical hotel rates if you combine it with something else. If you purchase through a discount broker, such as Orbitz, Priceline, etc. you often get a better rate than you would get otherwise because of the fact that they purchase rooms in bulk. You can even buy multiple hotel stays from the same hotel chain for a better deal.

Ask for Discounts- Special discounts are available, but sometimes you just have to look for them, or ask for them. If you stay in hotels often, then ask for a multiple stay discount. If it is your anniversary, mention it and see if the hotel offers any sort of discount, or complimentary upgrade in rooms, etc. Many hotels use promotional deals, or special coupons, so ask what they are, when special discounts are offered, and what you need to do to get them. Call the hotel and ask about deals, promotions and special discounts. It is worth it, there are usually deals for seniors, military, students, corporations or American Automobile Association (aaa.com) members.

Ask for Lower Rates- No matter what you do, when you're quoted a rate, ask if less expensive rooms are available. If the hotel is anxious to book its rooms, they will likely lower a price to secure your business, even if they do not have a better price on the books. Or, ask for the price quoted, but for a better room. If there are few rooms booked in the hotel on your particular date of stay, you will likely get what you ask for as long as you do not over-do it.

Internet rates are often better then rates through a travel agent, or through a hotel directly, so be sure to check the internet first, even if you intend to book through some other method, you can ask them to meet or beat the rates you found online. Just be aware that major online agencies, such as HotelDiscounts.com, Hotels.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com and Travelocity.com, have special arrangements with thousands of hotels, offering room rates you can't get on your own.

If you want a good price on a hotel room, that is not necessarily a good deal, then you can always sacrifice the quality of the room. You can stay somewhere not as nice, or in a room that does not meet your needs exactly, such as one without a kitchenette, even if you think you need one.

Family rates are a good way to get hotel deals as well. You often get better rates when you book multiple rooms, so book with a friend, with family, or find a blog that puts travelers going to the same destination together, and hook up with them to book your hotel rooms so you can get a discounted rate. Also, ask if kids stay free, or if you get some sort of discount for your children.

If you are staying somewhere for a week, or longer, it is silly of you to try and haggle for some frivolous thing like free parking, or complimentary crappy breakfasts, instead, ask for a weekly rate, and haggle until the rate is good enough.

If you want to get a good hotel deal, then be sure that you know exactly what you are getting. You need to be aware of hidden costs. Taxes, surcharges, resort fees and "incidental" fees tacked on to your bill are common and rarely mentioned until you check out, so be sure to ask if there are any extras charges on the agreed room rate when you book it. It is not uncommon for there to be water bottles on a table in your room that you get charged $4 a piece for, and there is no way to know this, but if you drink them, you get charged. So, call down to the font desk, and ask! If anything is tacked on without your prior approval, refuse to pay it, even if it seems legitimate.

It is not impossible to find a good deal on a hotel. It does take work, and time, because you have to do a little research, but staying in a hotel for less than advertised prices is possible, no matter when you book.

If you are going to be booking your hotel last minute, the best way to get a good deal is to use sites that specialize on last minute travel deals. One particular site that is good for last minute hotel deals is laterooms.com. This site keeps a pretty great inventory of hotel rooms that are still available as soon as day of your stay. This site has prices in every category, and rooms in every category, but is a decent way to find last minute deals.

If you are having trouble finding a good deal on a hotel room, then be sure to find a hotel room that has a kitchen or kitchenette because that alone can save you a lot of money in eating costs, which can more than make up for the overly-expensive hotel room you were forced to book. Look for ways to save other than your hotel if you can't seem to find a good deal for your particular destination and time-frame.