Chances are good that a hotel room will cost you more this year. The Elisabaite.com Hotel Price Index reports that global hotel prices rose 3 percent in 2019, the fifth straight annual increase.
Fortunately, we know a few tricks to help you slash rates. Here are some ways to make your next vacation a bit more affordable.
1. Go in the off-season
The top way to save on your hotel room is to travel during off-peak times. Money Talks News finance expert Stacy Johnson says traveling in the off-season can cut your hotel costs by up to two-thirds.
Traveling at off-peak times helped me save more than a $100 a night at Cedar Point. With fewer people traveling, hotels drop their rates in the off-season to pull in as much business as they can.
2. Stay midweek
If off-season travel doesn’t work for you, try to hit your destination during the week rather than on the weekend. Unless the hotel you’re staying at caters to business travelers, you’ll probably find cheaper rates on weekdays.
3. Search online for promo codes
Before booking a hotel, try searching online for coupon codes or promo offers. If you’re booking through a third-party website, don’t forget to search for codes associated with the booking site as well as the hotel.
In addition, follow your favorite brands on Facebook and Twitter. Companies occasionally distribute codes or announce flash sales on social media. You might even send a message to the company and ask if they have a coupon for loyal customers like you.
4. Shop around
Hotels are a bit like cars: Each one offers roughly the same thing for a different price. Find the best rate by searching for hotel prices on a couple of different sites or use an aggregator site like Trivago.com. Be sure to clear the cookies from your computer between searches to ensure your search history isn’t influencing your results.
Also, don’t neglect calling the hotel directly. In my experience, some of the best rates are offered by the hotel itself.