6 Tips for Finding Best Hotel Room Rate

Despite the increase in the number of people travelling, and the regularity with which we want to use online websites and apps for booking our accommodation there is, as of yet, no one place to head in order to secure the best deal on a hotel room.  To find the best deal you have to shop around and the place you find a great deal one month may not be the best place to head the following month.

The rates for hotel rooms and accommodation are constantly changing and this is why it is so important to make sure you don’t just always head to one website or app but take the time to compare a few and follow our top 6 tips for finding the best hotel room rate:-

Begin Online

There are plenty of third party websites who offer discount room rates so the best place to begin is there.  You can usually type in the city or location you want to visit and then narrow your search by dates, amenities, star rating and exact location and so on.  Pick one or two hotels which suit your preferences and then make sure you note down the variations in prices and what is included in the small print.  Don’t assume that every website is offering exactly the same deal; some may include breakfast and others may not, some may be for a twin room rather than a double and so on.  Make sure you note down overall price and what is included, this will assist you in the next stage of the process.

Call the Hotel Directly

Armed with you list of deals from third party websites give the hotel a call directly.  If your chosen hotel is part of a chain then make sure you call the exact hotel you want to stay in and not just a general customer service line.  Explain that you have found a number of rates online and ask whether they are willing to beat or match it.  Sometimes they might throw in extras such as free wi-fi or breakfast rather than beating the cost so it’s important to have a breakdown of exactly what each deal will offer you.  The best thing about booking directly with the hotel rather than a third party discount website is that you won’t need to pay in advance and you can contact the hotel directly if something goes awry with your existing booking.  Quite a number of hotels such as the Park Grand Lancaster Gate Hotel are more than willing to negotiate with potential guests but don’t chance your arm unless you have actual and existing deals to share with them; you don’t want to get caught out when they ask where you found such and such a rate, for example.  You may even be offered a room upgrade for the same price as a standard room, so it is always worth calling the hotel and asking the question, just in case.

Understand All Costs

Some hotels don’t include service charges or tax in their overall room rate so to avoid getting caught out when you come to pay for your room at the end of your stay, make sure you check with the hotel (or whoever you decided to book with) exactly what the costs will be and that there will be no additional charges made.  In order to understand whether you really are getting a better deal than elsewhere you need to have read all the small print and know exactly what each price relates to avoid getting caught out when it comes to paying for your room at the end of your stay.

Opt For A Package

Quite often opting for a package deal can work out cheaper than making just a normal reservation.  Many of the best hotels in London offer weekend break packages, romantic break packages and midweek break packages, for example so be sure to take a look around the hotel’s website or ask the hotel directly whether they have any special offers available around the time of your visit.  You might need to be flexible in your travel arrangements if you want to make use of a package deal but if it saves you a significant amount on your accommodation then it will almost definitely be worth it.

Use Reward Points

If you have to travel on a regular basis, either because you travel for work or because you like to travel in your leisure time then it might be worth seeing whether your favourite chain of hotels offers a reward system for regular guests.  This is something which many hotels are now beginning to employ and can be a great way of securing a discount on your room rate or the cost of additional extras such as breakfast or dinner perhaps.  Other reward systems such as store cards, credit cards and even supermarkets now can be used against the cost of a hotel so it is always worth checking around to see whether you have any unclaimed points you could put towards the cost of accommodation or whether it’s worth signing up for use on your next trip away.

Travel Out of Season

It is no secret that there are peak times when it comes to travelling and that the cost of accommodation and travel can skyrocket during those times.  Avoiding peak season can save you a significant amount on your hotel room rate as well as making the hotel much more likely to negotiate with you and provide you with a better overall deal.  No hotel wants to have empty rooms and during off-peak or low season this is even more likely to be the case, making the hotel much more likely to match any deal you have found online.