Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or an extended holiday to multiple destinations, the nights you spend in a hotel are likely the most expensive part of your holiday. Paying too much for hotels can easily see your best budgeting efforts fall apart. If you know where to look and how to book, you can save money on hotels. If you want to drastically reduce your accommodation expenses, these are some of the techniques and strategies that you’d want to be thinking about familiarizing yourself with.

Book rooms directly with the hotel

We’re not the only ones who want to save money on hotel stays. The hotels themselves look to save money, too. One way the hotels save money that benefits both us as consumers and the hotels as businesses, is by encouraging the booking of hotel rooms directly on hotel websites. Many hotels guarantee that the lowest rates appear on their websites. Booking directly also keeps those hotel loyalty reward points flowing because many hotel chains won’t apply points or use our benefits if we book through third party sites.

Days of the week, times of the year matter.

If your schedule is at all flexible, even if you have not stayed at a property before, it does pay to check their rates and see if certain days of the week are markedly different in price. Sometimes booking each night individually gets you a better price and sometimes booking a cluster of nights cuts the price. If you can time your stays and play with the pricing a bit, you’ll save money, for sure.

Get free Wi-Fi

Some hotels do charge for Wi-Fi, but many hotel chains will include it for free for their visitors. Sign up for that hotel chain. Even the ones you never think you’ll use. You never know, and it’s a money waster to pay for Wi-Fi during a hotel stay.

Ditch the hotel bar

Many hotel guests, particularly when traveling solo, spend considerable time in the hotel bar. They sit and work and have a few drinks. I get that spending time alone in a hotel room can get lonely, and that working in public spaces often feels less lonely. But those bar tabs add up. If saving money on hotel stays is what you’re after, whether your choice of beverage is wine, beer, sparkling water, or soda, it’s much cheaper to shop at a supermarket or convenience store and do your work or watch TV in the room than in the hotel bar. No fridge in your room and need to keep your beverages cold? Load ice into your bathroom sink or ice bucket and create your own cooler. Good example of the neighborhood architecture across the canal from the Copenhagen Marriott

Hand wash your laundry

Enjoy doing laundry in laundromats when travel. Met locals and have some fun laundry experiences, too. Yet it does take time away from day and if you don’t have much laundry to do, it’s easier and quicker just to wash a few items in your hotel room.

Paying full price for hotel rooms simply isn’t necessary. There are so many ways to cut hotel costs and save money on hotels. This list is by no means exhaustive, Share your favorite tips and help us all save even more money. Read more blogs CLICK…