I’ve always had a soft spot for hostels, but there’s something undeniably appealing about the comfort and luxury of a hotel. The pristine rooms, cozy beds, and amenities like a desk, iron, and a strong shower, not to mention the complimentary toiletries, offer a peaceful retreat from the outside world. However, this luxury comes with a hefty price tag.
Hotels can be expensive, and it feels wasteful to spend so much on a room I’ll only use for a few hours. That’s why I usually steer clear of hotels. I don’t see them as a good investment. I’d rather stay in a hostel, which is cheaper, offers more opportunities for social interaction, and doesn’t make me feel as disconnected from the place I’m visiting. Hotels can feel isolating, like a concrete bubble that separates you from your surroundings.
Back in 2014, I was staying in hotels quite a bit and decided to find out which was the best hotel booking site. The results were inconclusive. Some sites were better than others depending on the location and class of the hotel, but there was no clear winner.
In 2018, I decided to try again. This time, Booking.com came out on top. It didn’t have the most options overall, but it did have the most affordable ones, which is crucial for budget travelers. Agoda was the runner-up, with a wide range of options, particularly in Asia.
Fast forward to today, and the best booking site is… Google. Yes, Google. You might be wondering how a search engine can be the best hotel booking site. Let me explain.
Here’s how you can find the cheapest hotel in one simple step: Go to Google and type in where you want to go, like "New York City hotels." Google will pull results from all the major booking websites and show you the cheapest option. All you have to do is go to that site and book your hotel. It’s a huge time-saver!
Here’s a more detailed guide:
- Click on the "View hotels" button at the bottom of the first result section to go to Google’s hotel searching hub.
- Enter your dates and filters to narrow your search until you find a hotel you like in your price range. You can sort by lowest price and look at the map to book by location. You can even see typical pricing trends for your dates by clicking on "what you’ll pay."
- Click on the "view prices" button for a hotel and you’ll see all your booking options. Find the lowest price and head to that website. Just remember that the top results are usually ads, so scroll down to make sure you aren’t missing out on any deals.
- Once you’ve found the lowest price, book at that website!
Before you book, here are a few tips to ensure you get the best price possible:
- Contact the hotel directly – Call the hotel and ask them to match the offer. They usually will since it saves them on commission. Plus, if they’re a big global brand, you’ll only earn loyalty points and status when you book direct.
- Use discount rates like AAA or AARP – If you’re a member of AARP or AAA, you can get special rates that are cheaper. Anyone can join the AARP, and they have great travel benefits.
- Use Mr.Rebates or Rakuten – If the lowest rate is through a major booking site like Booking.com, Expedia, or Hotels.com, go through Mr. Rebates or Rakuten. You’ll get 1-10% back, which can add up over time.
- Check HotelTonight – This app is perfect for last-minute bookings. If you’re flexible and wait until after 4pm on the day of, you can find hotels up to 50% cheaper.
- Book a mystery deal – Both Priceline and Hotwire offer cheaper rates on hotel bookings where you don’t get the full reservation details up front. You can save 30-60% off with these deals if you’re okay with a bit of uncertainty!
- Sign up for Booking.com and Hotels.com loyalty programs – These sites offer members 10-20% off bookings. Make sure to sign up for their loyalty programs before you book with them!
- Get discounted gift cards – You can book major hotel chains with hotel gift cards. Check out a website like Giftcardgranny.com for discounted gift cards and use it to book your hotel.
- Buy someone else’s reservation with Roomer – Sometimes people can’t go on a trip and can’t cancel the reservation, so hotels put these rooms on Roomer, where they sell it at a discount to earn some money back.
Hotel pricing is more stable than airline pricing and doesn’t fluctuate as much. I wouldn’t spend hours searching hotel websites or days tracking prices like people do with airline prices. I’d spend, at most, 30 minutes on booking a hotel.
Just follow the steps above to get a cheap hotel by using the best hotel booking websites listed here. You’ll get a good deal and can start enjoying your trip sooner.
And if you find yourself staying in a lot of hotels, it might be worth looking into getting a hotel credit card so that you can start earning points towards free stays (free is always better than cheap)!
