Surprising And Simple Ways To Save On Hotels
You want to enjoy a relaxing vacation with your friends, family, or significant other, but there is only one thing standing between you and an amazing adventure: the money. However, before you put your dreams of an amazing vacation on hold permanently, realize that there are several surprising ways you can save big money on hotels.
Here are a few unexpected ways you can save serious money on your next hotel stay.
Learn a Hotel's Best Rate Guarantee
How many times have you booked a hotel and a few days later, the hotel or a popular booking website has the same hotel for a much lower price? Depending on the website or hotel used to book the room, you may not be able to cancel the reservation or you may have to pay a fee to cancel or change the reservation. Instead, contact the hotel directly and ask the hotel to honor its best rate guarantee.
Basically, a best rate guarantee means that if you book the hotel room and find a cheaper rate on a booking website or the hotel's website, contact the hotel and ask them to honor their best rate guarantee. The hotel will oblige by either lowering the price of your room or compensating you with a free hotel room in the future.
Watch for Unexpected Extras
You find a great deal on your hotel room and when you get the bill you are shocked at all the extra fees. Some hotels have hidden extra fees that aren't well advertised. You can try fighting the fees, but this strategy won't always work.
Instead, read the fine print before you book and watch out for these common hidden fees:
- Resort fees. Many high-end resorts and hotels charge a resort fee, which basically cover expenses incurred by the hotel, such as the WiFi, phone calls, and maintaining the grounds.
- WiFi fees. Most hotels offer free wireless internet. However, watch out for the few that still charge for the use of their WiFi.
- Coffee maker fees. You may notice a small fee on your bill for the use of the coffee maker and coffee provided by the hotel.
If you aren't sure if the hotel has any hidden fees, call the hotel and ask. Inquire if the hotel is willing to waive these fees. If the hotel won't forgive the fees, consider looking for another booking.
From avoiding hidden fees to asking the hotel to honor their best rate guarantee, there are several surprising ways you can save on your next hotel stay. Contact a local company for more information about vacation packages.