How to book a cheap hotel in 2025
They are a quiet, relaxing respite from the world. The quiet and relaxing atmosphere is a welcome respite from everyday life.
Hotels can be expensive and I don’t like spending money for a room that I will only use for a couple of hours. Even at my age I prefer to stay in hostels (private rooms though). I always feel that hotels are isolating, like a concrete bubble keeping you out of the place you’re visiting. I always feel hotels are isolating, like a concrete bubble keeping you out of the place you’re visiting.
That said, the older I get, the more I use hotel points, and the more I travel for work, the more I find myself staying in hotels, especially if it’s a short trip. I’ve spent a long time looking for the best hotel rates because budget travelers like me don’t want to spend a lot. Hotel prices have increased dramatically since COVID and there seem to be fewer bargains. There are many ways to get a great deal, and you can stack deals together to reduce the price of your hotel room. Let me show you.
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How to Book Cheap Hotels
Here is how to find the cheapest hotel in one simple step:
First, go to Google and type in where you want to go. For example, “New York City hotels.”
That’s it. Google will show you the results of all major booking sites and let you know which site is cheapest. Book your hotel there. It saves a lot of time!
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Click on the “View hotels” button at the bottom of the first result section to go to Google’s hotel searching hub.
Next, enter your dates and filters to narrow down your search until you find a hotel that suits you in your price range. This saves you a lot time! You can sort the results by lowest price, and use the map to find the best location to book. Clicking on “what you will pay” allows you to see the typical price trends for your dates.
Clicking on the “view pricing” button of a hotel gives you all your options for booking. You can then go to the website that offers the lowest rate. Once you find the lowest price on a website, you can book there! Before you book, you should know a few other things to get the best deal. Call the hotel directly.
Contact the hotel and ask for a price match. (They will usually do this since they save on commission). Direct bookings are the best way to earn points and status if they’re a global brand. Use points
The easiest way to save on a hotel is not to have to pay. Book a free hotel room by collecting points on branded credit cards, or transferring from Chase, Capital One etc. This saves me thousands and thousands of dollars every year. Start with my favorite hotel cards.
3. You can also get discounts if you belong to AARP or AAA. Anyone can join AARP. I’m a member. The benefits are amazing (hotels and flights with British Airways, for example). It’s well worth the membership.
4. Use Mr.Rebates and Rakuten
If you find the best rate on a booking site such as Booking.com or Expedia or Hotels.com then use Mr. Rakuten or Rebates. You can get up to 10% back by using their links. Over time, a small amount of extra money can add up. I never do any online shopping without going to these sites (they have deals for everything).
5. Book a mystery offer
Priceline and Hotwire both offer lower rates for hotel bookings when you do not receive the complete reservation details upfront. Hotwire’s Hot Deals and Priceline Express Deals will show you the neighborhood, star rating, and amenities of the hotel, but not the actual hotel. Priceline’s Pricebreakers offers will guarantee you one of the three hotels they group together. You won’t find out which hotel until you book. These deals can save you 30-60% if your tolerance for the unknown is high.
6. Sign up for Booking.com’s loyalty program
Booking.com offers members 10-20% off bookings. They helped me a lot. You should sign up for the loyalty program before booking with them.
7. You can book major hotels with hotel gift certificates. Use a website such as Giftcardgranny.com to find discounted gift cards. Gift card purchases count towards earning points and achieving status.
8. Roomer allows you to buy someone else’s booking. I have never used Roomer, but heard great things about it.
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Hotel prices are more fixed than airline rates and fluctuate less. I would not spend days or hours tracking hotel prices, as people do when they track airline prices. I would spend at most 30 minutes booking a hotel. Follow the steps below to find a great deal on a hotel using the websites I have listed. If you are a frequent hotel guest, you might want to consider getting a credit card for hotels so you can earn points toward free stays.
Stop paying full price for travel!
Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! This is how the pros travel! This guide will show you how to:
How To Pick A Credit Card
How To Earn Up to 10x More Miles On Your Spending
How To Redeem Your Points
And Tons of Other Money-Saving Tips!
Book your Trip: Logistical Tricks and Tips
Book your Flight
Find Cheap Flights Using Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Want to Travel for Free
Travel Credit Cards allow you to earn rewards that can be used to redeem for free flights or accommodation. Discover Cars offers affordable international car rentals. They’ll find you the best — and most affordable — rental car for your trip, no matter where you are going! Ready to book your trip?
- Check out my resource page to find the best travel companies. Here are all the companies I use to travel. You can’t go far wrong with them. They are top-of-the-line and the best you can get.
