Choosing a hotel for any getaway can be both exciting and exhausting.
With so many factors to consider—location, amenities, and of course, price—it can quickly feel overwhelming to find lodging, even for a trip you’ve long looked forward to with the stress of finding the best hotel rate possible. As any traveler can attest, there are few things more deflating than finalizing a booking, only to discover a better rate elsewhere.
While many booking platforms offer refundable rates or cancellation windows, there are a few key strategies to utilize to help ensure you are getting the best hotel rates out there.
Why I Obsess Over Hotel Rates
As someone with anxiety and endless fear that I’m missing out on optimal pricing, I regularly incorporate a handful of tactics to feel confident that all avenues have been explored and that I am getting the current best rate.
I’m often bewildered at how much hotel rates for the same room can fluctuate for the same dates. It goes to show that just 10 minutes of research can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars.
For example, the same King City View room at a hotel in Santa Monica during the same weekend in November with comparable refund flexibility show wildly different rates for identical rooms:
Utilizing even just a few of these strategies can help give peace of mind that you‘ve done your due diligence not to overpay.
Tips for the Search on Hotel Booking Sites
- Use filters wisely
Narrow down to your non-negotiables: pool, free cancellation, max budget, hotel vs. vacation rental, etc.- Start with your must-haves, then layer in “nice-to-haves” if you still have too many results.
- Be flexible with dates
Just like flights, hotel rates shift by day of the week- Midweek stays are usually cheaper than Fridays and Saturdays.
- Always check the final price
Taxes, fees, and sneaky resort charges often appear late in the process. Compare the real total, not just the advertised rate. - Review cancellation + refund policies
- Within one platform, two hotels may have completely different refund rules.
- A hotel may offer multiple prices based on level on cancellation flexibility.
- Price Match Guarantees
- Some platforms offer Price Match Guarantees. Learn the details of their offer, and if you find a better price elsewhere after booking, take a screenshot and send yourself the url to pass on as the original platform will need to verify.
- Shopping and Travel Portals
If utilizing a credit card shopping or travel portal for bonus points, make sure the booking tab came directly from the portal (close all other booking tabs to decrease confusion if needed).- Some third party hotel sites offer members-only discounts so ensure logging into your account for optimal pricing.
- Weight The Cost of Using Points
- Points can take a long time to accrue, so make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
- For the math on this, check out The Points Guy’s calculator here.
- Points transfers between loyalty programs are not always equal.
- Check platforms like Pointsyeah.com to search for the best hotel award rates.
- Points can take a long time to accrue, so make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
Final Price Comparisons
Once you’ve narrowed down some hotels that suit your needs, compare the prices through a variety of methods:
Cross-Check Third-Party Platforms
Run through a few quick searches for the same hotels and dates on your favorite platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity and Agoda.
*Not all hotels or room types show up on every platform, so it’s worth checking a few.
Check Rocketmiles.com
Rocketmiles.com is a platform that functions as a Third Party booking platform, but also offers points boosts on the hotels. They honor and earn points from an exhaustive collection of loyalty programs, and it is free to sign up.
Direct Hotel Websites
Booking directly with hotels can beat prices on third party tools because hotels save on commission fees and may include additional perks:
- “Stay 3 nights, get 1 free” deals
- AAA member discounts
- Loyalty program perks (not available when booking through third-party sites)
Additionally, upgrades on hotel rooms are more likely when booking directly with a hotel, especially if you’re a member. Hotel loyalty programs are generally free to sign up and will increase your chances at upgrades, early check-ins and late check-outs.
Hot Tip: If you book direct with the hotel, it never hurts to send an email before your stay and just let them know how much you’re looking forward to their hotel- they will often extend extra niceties that would otherwise not be given to people booking through a travel site.
Credit Card Travel Portals
- Rates may be inflated slightly to offset points, but sometimes you’ll find competitive deals.
- Look for shopping portal multipliers- the rates and companies change often.
- If your card transfers to hotel loyalty programs, compare points vs. cash value to ensure you’re getting a good deal.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best hotel rate doesn’t have to feel like a second job. By combining filters, flexible dates, careful comparison, and loyalty and credit card perks, you can feel confident you’re getting the best value for your stay.
While efforts like the Hotel Fees Transparency Act requiring platforms to advertise the final price of bookings with all additional fees is in the works, for now, our keen eye will be needed to safeguard against these unexpected charges.
Even just a few minutes of extra research can turn into serious savings, allowing you to relax and enjoy your time away and reallocate the money saved instead of overpaying for your stay.
