Ways to save money on lodging

Next up in my “ways to save money on vacation” series…saving money on lodging!  Here are a few of the ways I like to save money on a place to rest our heads when we travel.

Do your Research

When I am booking a hotel on vacation, I first do some research and find the area in which I want to stay (close to the attractions we’re visiting, safe, easy to get to transportation, etc).  Then I look at the hotels in the area and find a few with good ratings on TripAdvisor.com or another travel site.  Once I’ve narrowed it down to a few hotel options, I start by looking for rates at those hotels on travel websites like Travelocity, Hotels.com, or Expedia.  Then, I look at the hotel’s website to see if there are any better deals available there (usually there are).  Finally, I call the hotel directly, tell them the prices I found online, and ask them if they can beat it.  Almost always there is a lower rate available directly through the hotel…they want avoid paying out commission to those websites so they can offer you a better rate if you call and speak with the reservation agent at the hotel.  (And try very hard to speak with someone AT the hotel…not a national reservations hotline…I find that each location will work with you more often than a national call center will).  Make sure to ask for any discounts that you may be eligible for such as military rates, AAA rates, senior citizen discounts or government rates. 

Be Flexible

Try to be flexible with your travel dates if you can.  Sometimes checking in one night later or leaving a day earlier will make a big difference in your room rate.  When you are searching for rooms online just fiddle with your dates a little bit to see if it makes a difference.   Don’t travel during the busy season for any destination if you can avoid it.  If you must travel during peak times, ask the hotel what days of the week or specific dates are least booked and try to make those work. 

Be Loyal

Stay at the same property or at least the same brand of hotel everywhere you go and sign up for their loyalty reward program (almost every large chain has one).  Little by little those points will add up and you can earn free nights at one of their properties.  This works especially well if someone in your family travels for work regularly.  My husband does and he always tries to stay at Marriott properties and now we’ve got a couple of free nights coming our way! 

Be Creative

Sometimes when you are traveling with your family it can be difficult to afford enough space for everyone.   Instead of booking 2 hotel rooms to accommodate your family, look into whether a suite would be less expensive.  Or consider booking a condo or apartment by looking at Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO.com).  You may be able to get a whole house for the same price as a hotel room!  One of our very best vacations was at a home we rented in Colorado…we had plenty of space and a gorgeous yard/forest for the kids to play in at the end of the day.  Perfection!

Read the Fine Print

Once you have booked your hotel, make sure you find out what is included in your rate and what may not be.  Parking is a big one to watch for.  So many times a hotel in an urban area will charge up to $25/day just to park in their lot!  And in an urban area you can almost always find parking lots down the block that are cheaper or even free on the weekends.  Unload your luggage at the hotel and walk an extra block…it will be worth the cost savings!  Also watch for hidden charges like the newspaper by your door, bottles of water in the room, internet access, etc.  Always double check your bill to make sure nothing shows up that you did not authorize. 

The bottom line is to plan in advance, do your homework, and be flexible when you are booking a hotel or another type of lodging.  That will lead to you getting the lowest possible rate more often than not!