Tips to Booking Lodging and Finding Great Hotel Deals
Did you know that throughout the globe, hotels and lodging
account for close to $7 trillion in revenue each and every year? For that
reason, it is more possible than ever for you to find some great hotel deals
online. Hotels aren’t hurting for money and the internet has opened up the
playing field, allowing consumers to find more deals than ever, while also
increasing their options for booking as a whole. If you want to learn more
about finding the best lodging for any type of trip, business, pleasure or emergency,
read this guide and put these tips into action.
Four Great Tips for Booking Hotels
#1: Consider Membership Discounts and Promo Codes Any Time You Book a
Trip
There are countless opportunities available for you to save
money on your hotel booking when you simply look into potential discount or
promo codes, or memberships. For instance, belonging to organizations like AAA,
AARP, Hotels Etc. and various forms of insurance can open you up to a number of
discounts that you otherwise would not have thought about. You may also be able
to receive discounts based on memberships to fraternal organizations or trade
unions. Aside from memberships, you can also receive some money off of your
booking any time you find coupons, discounts and temporary promos. Before booking
any trip, consider Googling promo codes to use in the little box at checkout —
you would be surprised at just how readily available they are and how much they
can save you.
#2: Time Is Everything, So Consider Your Timetables When Booking Any
Hotel Stay
When you really want to save some money, you will need to
think about the time of month, year, week or even day that you book your hotel
stay. This is especially critical if you are a person who travels frequently
and consistently requires a quality hotel stay. If you are able to wait it out
a little bit, you should even consider booking your hotel the day before your
stay. This might sound like a last minute decision, but many hotels will
greatly decrease their prices in order to avoid having too many vacancies.
#3: Join Membership and Rewards Programs Whenever Possible
One of the best things you can do to stay at a hotel for
discounted rates is join the hotel’s rewards program. In the same way that
grocery stores offer instant discounts, coupons and gas points for choosing to
shop with them consistently, hotels give you access to members only benefits
and plenty of discounts the more that you choose to stay with them. In places
like Las Vegas, you can even get points that allow you to become eligible for
free rooms. These discounts become more favorable the more that you use them,
and you will also be able to have promotions sent to your e-mail on a regular basis,
keeping you in the loop.
#4: Don’t Discount Your Ability and Power to Negotiate
Keep in mind that as the consumer, you always have the power
to negotiate. Sure, you will be given a listed price, complete with tax any
time you attempt to book, but too many people assume that these prices are
written in stone. On the contrary, you will be able to receive price matching,
discounts and even free extras sometimes but simply asking. The most that can
happen is that the hotel refuses you, but you will never know what kinds of
discounts or opportunities you can experience, especially if you are friendly,
persistent and flexible in your needs and accommodations. Ask to speak to a
manager before your stay.
With these points in mind, it is easy to see the amount of
power you have at your disposal whenever you are looking to book a hotel stay.
It is very important that you use these tools to your advantage, in order to
make the most of the situation and find a hotel stay that suits you. You can
log on to web sites such as hotelsetc.com for further information to help you out in this regard. So apply these travel tips and use them to the
best of your ability.
Jonathan Leger is a small business owner and personal
development enthusiast. He also runs a popular question and answer site with a
section dedicated to travel and recreation.