You can travel the world without having to spend all your savings, as far as your accommodation goes. Regardless if it is just a weekend trip, a long family vacation, or an exotic holiday trip, the hotel costs can very quickly accumulate into one of the most expensive aspects of traveling. But, don’t worry! With some tips and a bit of planning, you can stay in comfortable hotels, for far less than what’s listed on most booking sites.
In order to provide you with the most updated data, we have surveyed information from the latest travelers. Based on this information, it appears that the most budget-conscious travelers book between 8-14 days in advance, Sunday check-ins being the cheapest, according to the 2026 Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. Moreover, the number of travelers who use reward filters, budget filters and price alerts are all at an all-time high!
Why Does hotel pricing vary?
Hotel prices do not vary for fun, it is due to a multitude of factors that can influence how expensive or inexpensive your hotel will be. Most hotels use dynamic pricing methods that adjust rates based on demand, local events, occupancy, holidays and even the weather forecast. This could mean that today the same room could be costing $120, tomorrow night it will cost $220 just because a huge concert or sporting event will be taking place nearby.
Seasonality plays a huge part, as the price during a school holiday, a holiday weekend and a prime tourist season are all significantly higher. You could, however save a huge amount of money if you travel during shoulder seasons, ie. The time between peak and off peak travel time, you also have less crowds as a bonus!
It is for this reason that you should not be booking early just to avoid an expense later, but should rather book with research. Research provided by Hotels.com and KAYAK has shown that booking far in advance does not always mean it’s cheaper. Depending on your location, it is possible that booking your stay close to the actual arrival date will result in lower prices.
Best Time to Book Hotels
There are numerous factors that affect how expensive your room will be and therefore how you book is really important. Currently, a 8-14 day advance booking is ideal in most cases (according to Hotels.com), and in KAYAK, travelers are often finding savings in the week of, especially if they are staying in the UK.
Here’s a small chart to show you the booking strategy vs the actual savings:
Booking Strategy Potential Savings Best For
8-14 days before travel High General leisurely trips
Last minute bookings up to 20-30% in certain areas for a limited amount of time More flexible travelers
Peak season booking earlier in advance Better availability rather than savings Public holidays and festivals
Sunday check-in cheaper rates weekend extensions
If you have time and are not fussy about exact days, it’s a good idea to keep on watching the room prices for several days, rather than immediately checking in.
Compare prices before booking
Do not book the first hotel that you see, the most reasonable way to ensure you are getting value for your money, is by checking out hotels on compare sites. Once you find the cheapest price possible on one of these compare sites, head to the hotels website as many hotels will be able to give you a cheaper rate and even extra perks for booking directly with them, like free breakfast, or free parking. The hotels also do not need to pay commissions to a third-party, so it is in their interest to make the customer happy by giving them more for their money. Most travel experts also recommend booking direct where ever possible.
Join the hotels loyalty schemes
The easiest way to get more money for your accommodation costs, is by joining up to the hotel’s loyalty scheme, which are all generally free to join. This provides you with advantages such as discounts, free meals, free night’s stay, and much more! Travelers often see savings in a shorter period of time by signing up. It is reported that more and more travelers are using loyalty rewards, due to the fact they can get extra benefits, rather than a discounted room rate.
Change dates and location around
The greatest way to reduce hotel costs is to be flexible with your dates and, if it’s not too much hassle, the location of the hotel too. Even one or two day difference can be very noticeable, and weekdays are usually cheaper to book rather than the weekend. Leisure destinations usually cost more during the weekend than the business locations during the weekday, but it really depends on your area.
Travel during shoulder season whenever possible.
It is much cheaper and most hotels give you great deals. There is better availability and smaller crowds, as well as more individual service from staff, and also easier booking for restaurants. This is definitely something you can use, you can get savings of hundreds of pounds depending on how long you will be traveling for.
Alternative Accommodation
A lot of people think that the only form of accommodation, other than your own home, is a hotel. But there is a world of difference! Options such as rentals, guesthouses, boutiques, hostels with private rooms, Aparthotels and bed and breakfasts are all options for the adventurous and even for families with the opportunity to rent an apartment with a kitchen where you can prepare your own meals instead of buying them at expensive restaurants.
Look out for package and promotional discounts
Travel packages that book you with the hotel and your flight or rental car or tickets for attractions are always worth keeping an eye out for as this can save you a great deal, and also make the traveling process much easier to book in one place. Always be sure to look out for mobile app discounts, student and teacher discounts, AAA/AARP and military/veteran rates, or any other corporate rates. It is also worth checking your credit card deals as many will offer you great travel rewards or statements credits. Do not forget cashback websites, as they are also often found offering extra savings!
Avoid the Hidden Fees
The advertised rate is often not the price you will pay. Look carefully at all extra charges before completing the booking, otherwise you will be in for a nasty surprise at the checkout. Examples of the most frequent charges are resort fees, parking costs, Wi-Fi and even sometimes breakfast, and it depends on what type of hotel you are booking. Be sure to compare with other hotels where these charges may not apply or look for rates where this is already included.
The extra tips that you need
Many people like to follow a certain set of criteria when booking accommodation. These tips below are all tried and tested.
- Keep an eye on prices with a price alert so you don’t miss out.
- Keep on re-checking refundable rates. If the price has decreased, you can cancel and re-book for a lower cost.
- If your booking is refundable, do this for the benefit of saving money!
- Call your hotel after finding a lower price online, often hotels will beat other peoples rates by giving it to you direct.
- Book hotels slightly outside the main areas, just remember they will most likely be in business areas rather than lively leisure areas.
- Travel during the week.
- Travel using the right travel credit cards as you can gain from great benefits such as discounts and statement credits.
- Try to combine all the above!
Most of us who love to travel often check and re-check refundable rates to make sure that if prices fall, they can cancel the initial booking and take advantage of the newly reduced price. This is very often overlooked but it’s a common tip from the traveling community.
Conclusion
Booking cheaper hotels is not about how lucky you are, but how much effort you put in. Make sure that you know exactly when to book your accommodation and not simply by when you first look, or make sure that you get the best rates available, by comparing with different booking websites. The right traveler will make sure to choose wisely and efficiently to reduce any accommodation costs, and instead of having an expense, they can transform this cost into a profit to use elsewhere.