Traveling involves a lot of money, and sometimes you lose track. Hotel charges take significant chunks of your budget. So, the major challenge for travelers is to save as much money as they can. And if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like to spend too much on accommodation, then these hacks are for you, my friend.
These thirteen hacks will help you save money while booking accommodation:
Research! Research! Research!: you have to research a lot if you want to book cheap accommodation. Constantly look for discount coupons and codes. However, there are a plethora of websites that allow you to compare prices and other features. These sites will help you find the cheapest of options available. List down the places you want to book and look for discounts but don’t forget to research the safety and service of the place. You would not want to compromise security.
Stay when footfall is low in the place: During peak season, there are always hike in cost and other facilities, and it’s almost impossible to find cheap accommodations. You will get maximum discounts between peak season and off-season, and prices are relatively low; most importantly, you don’t have to encounter large crowds.
Go for apartments or hostels: The best way to book comfortable and affordable accommodation in hostels and apartments. There are various hostels available that are highly comfortable, safe; you wouldn’t want to spend all your money on hotels. And you know what’s the best part? Well! You can meet many sweet people and make new friends and who knows, you might have another addition on your trip.
Book hotels or hostels that have a free cancellation policy: For Instance, when you book accommodation beforehand, suppose some changes happen at the last minute, and you have to cancel the plan. If your hotel charges some fee for cancellation, you will lose money without going anywhere. Although there might be a chance that you don’t find a hotel safe or suitable for you when you reach your destination, and you want to cancel bookings. So, you need to check the cancellation policy of the hotel before your bookings. If you book an apartment, it will be easy to share the cost with other tenants. So, look for hostels and apartments for an affordable stay.
Use a debit card or credit card: When you are ready to pay for your accommodation, prefer plastic money. Many private and public banks provide discounts on hotel booking through credit cards or debit cards. Not only that, many banks allow you to earn points on every transaction through plastic money, and you can use these points for discounts and other exciting offers.
Earn points: Many travel booking websites allow you to earn points for major discounts. You can sign up and earn brownie points or recommend their platform to some friends to earn points. These points play a huge role in exciting deals. Some sites offer free accommodation after you earn specified points. The significant advantage is that you can stay in any hotel. It’s not necessary to stay at one particular hotel chain to earn points.
Price comparison apps: These apps come in handy when looking for cheap accommodations. You have to sign up for their website and fill in all the details; they will search for you and list the most suitable options per your requirements. Pretty feasible, isn’t it?
Membership discounts: many travel sites allow you for membership. Buying membership can be highly beneficial for you as members get more deals and offers than regular visitors. If you find any travel site with a membership option and it’s reasonable, then that’s it; go for it. Whenever you travel, you are going to have an added advantage.
Book for more extended stays: well! If you don’t know that a seven days stay is relatively cheaper than a six days stay. Surprising right? Well! It’s true; hotels charge low because it’s more convenient for them as they don’t have to go for room changing process, thus reducing their overall cost. So, hotels prefer customers for a more extended stay. Therefore, looking for a longer stay can be cheaper than any other way.
Sharing economy method: Do you know about the sharing economy method? Well! It’s a way to share your travel resources to reduce overall costs. You can rent someone’s room while they are on vacation, and it’s not only affordable but a lot more welcoming and homely than hotels.
Stay a little away from the city center: when choosing a destination and hotel, don’t go for the city center as they cost relatively higher than the outskirts. If you found a cheap hotel near the city center, then that’s a wow moment. If not, staying at a distance will always help you save money, but don’t get fascinated with this idea and book far away from the accommodation only adds to your transportation cost. So, take care of these little details before you spend your money.
Check facilities offered by the hotel: Check every facility available, whether they have a fridge, 24×7 wifi, microwave, coffee maker, laundry facility; these facilities add value. You don’t need to spend money on coffee if they have a coffee maker or a microwave option; you can reheat the leftovers and reduce your spending on food.
Delete search history: sounds surprising? Well, when you repeatedly search for the same thing over a different website, they save your cookies, and when you come back, they know what you are looking for. So, they are bound to charge you more. Therefore, clear your history before revisiting the website for booking.
