How to Stay in a Hotel for Cheap

The two most expensive parts of any vacation is the expense to actually arrive at the destination (airplane tickets, train tickets, gas, etc.) and the accommodations. In a previous post, I gave you some tips on finding cheap flights, now I want to give y’all some tips and tricks to finding cheap hotels wherever you are traveling.

Sign up for Rewards

The most cost effective thing is for you to sign up for a hotel or travel site’s reward program. These programs are free and come with big discounts! These can include free cancelation, member stay discounts, free nights and more! The two sites I personally use is Priceline and Hilton. I chose Priceline due to their amazing feature of “Express Deals”. These are epic for those not traveling with kids and looking for a cheap deal.

Priceline

Priceline has the most easy rewards program – ever. Stay with them, and then you get discounted. Unlike other third party affiliates, the discounts start immediately after signing up. The more you stay – the more you save. It isn’t just hotels but flights and rental cars as well. Priceline also gives deals on cruises.

Priceline’s Express Deals

After searching for a hotel during the time of your choosing, there is a button under the search called “Express Deals”. These are mystery hotel offers that can be up to 60% off. You won’t know the hotel until after you book, however there will be descriptions of the hotel provided (amenities, like-hotels, how many stars, and general location).

Now, there are ways to guess which hotel you could be staying at before purchasing. I pull up Google Maps and compare the coverage area. Then, I make an educated guess as to what hotel Priceline is picking for me. This has about a 80% accuracy rate.

The main issue with Priceline’s Express Deals is when traveling with a family. You don’t always get to pick the room configuration. As a mother with two teen girls, this doesn’t work out so well. However, I try and utilize this feature every time the husband and I travel solo.

Hilton Honors

Another tip to finding cheap hotels is hotel reward programs. Let me preface this by stating that I am not an affiliate nor do I receive any perks for my recommendations. These are just the tried and true tips that my family and I have discovered over the years. Now that I got that out of the way. I love Hiltons! They have so many great hotels in the best areas of many cities, plus Embassy Suites are absolutely amazing for families.

• Separate bedrooms for kids and parents
• Large rooms
• Free made to order breakfast like omelette stations (yum)
• Free Happy Hour

Plus, we love the customer service Hiltons provide. We get to check in early, warm cookies and bottled water on arrival and Digital Keys! In the Hilton app, you can pick your room the day before check-in and bypass the desk. The app will notify you when the room is ready. However, if you end up at the hotel early to drop off your luggage (they will hold it for you for no cost while you explore the town before or after check-out), they may be able to get you into your room earlier than the check-in time.

Also, this free service helps give you points towards free stays. Then, you can get discounted or free nights to utilize. Another benefit to signing up for Hilton Honors is you get discounts on your stay. I also compare these rates to Priceline. If it is close to the same amount, I will book directly through the app, as not all hotels will honor The Priceline or third party booking and give any points.

Questions on Finding Cheap Hotels?

I hope my family’s tips have helped you find the best deals on accommodations for your next trip. What are some of your best tips to finding cheap hotels? Sound off in the comments below!