How to Get Hotel Discounts

Summer is the most popular time for traveling. However, it is the time when traveling is the most expensive as the prices on flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars are the highest. If you want to travel on your dream vacation for less be prepared to spend some time to find the best deal possible. Read the tips below to find out how to book a hotel room with a discount.

Use Filters

Start your search with popular travel sites. Make sure you use filters to narrow down the hotel options by focusing on the things that are of importance for you, like price, star rating, amenities, location, etc. After that you should put in your dates to get baseline prices for each hotel. It would be a good idea to read user reviews and then the chances are that your list will cut down. Finally you'll end up with several hotels where you would like to stay during your vacation. These are the hotels that suit your budget and provide the amenities you are looking for.

Get the Best Discounts

Once you have come up with the short list of hotels of your choice it's time to obtain a discount. Remember that it's almost always possible to get a better price than that advertised on your favorite online travel site.

Coupons

Most online travel agencies do offer coupons that will enable you to save up to 20 percent on your favorite hotel unless it is a major national brand, like Marriott or Starwood.

AAA Discounts

Most hotels whether it is a popular brand or an independent hotel provide discounts for AAA members. So consider checking the hotel's website or search the AAA website to find out whether special rates are available for members. Even if you are not an AAA member consider getting a new membership to be eligible for a hotel discount.

Senior Discounts

Travelers who are 55 or older can count on senior discounts which are often associated with the AARP. So make sure you find out whether the hotel you plan to stay at offers senior rates. It should be noted that the minimum age may vary so it is important to check it out before booking.

Mobile Discounts

Many online travel agencies offer exclusive rates when the customers book the rooms via smartphone. In most cases mobile discounts are offered for last minute booking and the amount of savings can be really big.

Club Discounts

Typically members of a warehouse club, such as Sam's Club or Costco pay less for their hotel accommodations. So consider checking the website of your club. If they do provide such a discount you will have to log in with your membership number before booking.

Direct Rates

Very often hotels may charge lower prices when customers book directly through their websites. When you book via a travel agency the hotel pays it a commission which is around 20 percent. When you skip the middlemen by booking directly at the hotel's website the hotel doesn't pay the commission, so it can offer you a lower price.

Follow Through

After you've found the hotel at the cheapest price and booked it don't think that you've done everything. Before you check in make sure you do the following.

First, you must find out whether your booking is refundable. If it is, keep on watching the prices of the hotels on your short list. Many travel sites features tools that enable the customers to monitor the price of particular hotels on particular dates. If prices decrease, you can cancel and rebook.

Second, find out whether the site you booked with has a best price guarantee. If it has, there is a chance for you to pay less for your room. In case you find a better price on the same hotel for the same dates at another site, you can get a refund for the difference in price.

Finally, you can ask the front desk staff for an upgrade. To increase your chances of getting "yes" you need to be very polite, friendly and considerate with the employee.